Everything She Ever Needed
by YourGrace
Summary: Blair and Serena have finally realized their love for one another, but when Blair finds herself in a difficult situation, the two must help each other adjust to newfound responsibilities. Blair/Serena. Reviews are loved!
1. I Have To Tell You

Blair Waldorf was lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling while contemplating the many unexpected things that were arising in her believed to be perfect life.

Serena van der Woodsen, her long lost best friend, had come back from boarding school at Hanover and amazingly, they had become friends again. Even more amazing was the confession that Serena had brought back with her; the fact that she had left the Upper East Side because she was in love with Blair.

At the time, Blair was so dedicated to their childhood friend, Nate Archibald, and it hurt Serena more than anything to see them together. She wasn't hurt by the fact that her two best friends were now together, she was hurt seeing Blair continually disappointed by Nate's haphazard ways. So instead of staying to see how their relationship progressed, Serena had decided that going to boarding school was the best choice for her. She had wanted to give her best friend happiness, so she left before her own love for Blair had come between her and Nate's relationship.

Blair smiled as she remembered the afternoon when Serena had told her how she felt. The tall blonde was nervous and jittery which was so unlike her, but to Blair, it was the most adorable sight she had ever seen. They had been together now for nearly a month since she had ended her relationship with Nate, and it was easy to realize that Serena had always been everything she ever needed.

That was the reason for Blair's beautiful eyes suddenly changing from happily reminiscent, to tear-filled. She knew she had to tell Serena what was happening, but she just wasn't ready to lose the happiness she felt when she was with Serena, and she knew she couldn't handle the situation alone. Everything felt so surreal and she wasn't going to lose just Serena; she was going to lose everything. A tear escaped and traced over her temple, as she sat up to retrieve her cell phone.

"Serena? Could you come over, I need to tell you something…" Another tear escaped. "Alright…thanks."


	2. You Are Not Alone

As Serena rode the elevator up to Blair's penthouse, she hoped that the sadness in her girlfriend's voice was something that she could easily clear up. Serena could handle it if Eleanor had made a comment that had upset Blair, but the tone of Blair's voice seemed to hold much more than that.

"Hey, B…are you alright?" Serena asked softly as she sat down next to Blair on the edge of the bed.

The brunette's head was down; preventing Serena from seeing her face, but when she lifted her head the sight broke Serena's heart. Blair's deep brown eyes were swimming with tears and her cheeks were glistening with moisture.

"What's wrong!?" Serena asked her again, beginning to worry.

Blair didn't answer her. Instead she hid her face against Serena's neck and began sobbing brokenly. The blonde wrapped her arms around Blair, one hand around her waist and the other stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Ser-Serena," Blair gasped out, trying to speak but only getting as far as her girlfriend's name.

"Shh, I'm here. You're okay Blair, I'm right here," Serena whispered against chocolate tresses. Blair continued to cry and Serena continued to grow more worried about the smaller girl she was holding in her arms. Finally, after several long moments, Blair pulled away and looked up into Serena's dark blue eyes.

"S, before I say anything, I just want you to know I never meant for this to happen…" Blair whispered.

"Blair, whatever it is, you can tell me…I'm here for you, no matter what…" Serena whispered back and then placed a gentle kiss on Blair's forehead. "Now, you have to tell me what's going on, so I can help you."

After taking a deep, shaky breath Blair began speaking. "I slept with Chuck Bass, after my birthday party, but I swear, Serena, it was before I even knew-,"

Serena cut her off, placing her index finger against her soft, full lips. "B, if that's all your upset about, it's alright, it's in the past-."

"No! That's not all this is about…I…" Blair lowered her head. "I'm so sorry, S…I'm pregnant." She said, barely above a whisper, and the tears started anew.

Blair's comment had left Serena speechless, with a million thoughts running through her head. All she could do was embrace Blair in a tight hug and let her sob against her chest.

"B, are you sure?" Serena asked quietly, while holding Blair's face in her hands and looking into her sad eyes.

"Go look at that test on the bathroom sink! Those pink lines seem pretty fucking sure!" Blair spat out as she pulled away from Serena, stood up, and began to pace. She was upset, angry, and simply surprised that Serena wasn't just walking out the door at this very moment; it was too much to think about. Serena knew she had to keep Blair calm, but she was already on the verge of a classic, Waldorf meltdown.

"Blair…Blair?" Serena said quietly, trying not to upset Blair further, but the brunette wasn't even listening. "We need to set up an appointment, to be sure, before—"

"What is my mother going to say!? I can't wait for that conversation! Ugh, these types of things are not supposed to happen to me Serena!" Blair practically yelled. The tears had stopped and been replaced with maniacal ranting.

"What am I supposed to do about this!?" Blair questioned, turning to Serena with a bewildered look on her face, and desperation in her eyes.

"Come here, and I'm going to tell you…" Serena replied back calmly, holding her hands out to her girlfriend. Blair walked back to the bed and laced her fingers with Serena's, looking up to her.

"First, we have to make a doctor's appointment to be absolutely sure, and then we need to tell your mom and Chuck, they deserve to know, B…we'll figure the rest out from there." Serena stated quietly. Blair nodded her head silently and the blonde laid back, pulling Blair to lay down with her.

"I'm scared, S, I don't want to do this alone…" Blair whispered after a few moments of lying there listening to Serena's heartbeat. Serena knew how much it took for Blair to admit fear and defeat, and the statement made her own eyes fill with tears.

"Blair, don't ever believe for a second that you're in this alone, I'm here for you and I'm going to take care of you…now rest for awhile." Serena reassured her, even though her own thoughts were racing on how to handle the situation.


	3. Listen

Serena was watching Blair as she fussed and fidgeted in the seat next to her. They had been sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office for nearly half an hour, and it seemed the longer they waited, the antsier Blair became.

"Don't be nervous, it's alright," Serena said to Blair, as she placed her hand over hers and gave her a smile.

Blair snapped back rapidly with a quizzical look on her face. "Why would you think I'm nervous? I am not nervous, Serena!"

"B, you've been picking the scales off a three-thousand dollar python purse for the last fifteen minutes…I know you're nervous," Serena replied back, shaking her head and smiling at how cute her girlfriend looked. The brunette's fingers stilled against the snake skin of her purse and her eyes darted to the side, giving Serena an annoyed glare.

Just then, a door opened and a nurse called out, "Miss Waldorf." Blair stood up, and Serena quickly rose up behind her, putting her hand to the smaller girl's back before she decided to bolt. She could feel the tenseness in Blair's frame and she hoped with everything she had that the appointment would go smoothly for Blair's sake.

*****

"Well, Miss Waldorf, let me congratulate you…as you are in fact, approximately two and a half months pregnant," the doctor stated.

Serena gave Blair's hand a light squeeze, and she shifted her downcast eyes upwards to give her doctor a half-hearted smile. "Thank you." She was trying to keep her emotions in check; a small part of her had wished that the test would come back negative. Although, in her heart she knew it was true, she could just feel it.

"Would you two like to hear the baby's heartbeat?" the doctor asked them. Serena's face broke out into a smile and even Blair was smiling genuinely.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Serena squealed excitedly, surprising the brunette a little.

Using the Doppler machine, the doctor began searching for the baby's heartbeat. "It may take a few moments…oh okay, there it is…" Then a small noise could be heard.

_Lub dub…lub dub…lub dub…lub dub…._

The tall blonde holding Blair's hand went silent, and Blair herself could only manage one shakily whispered word.

"Whoa…" she breathed out. Suddenly it felt as if she might faint. If it hadn't felt real before, it certainly did now. She was definitely pregnant and the tiny muffled thumps brought a new reality to the situation. Tons of emotions began rushing through Blair's head and her brown eyes gathered with tears. Blair didn't know if she was about to cry because she felt blessed or because she was scared out of her mind.

"This can be a very emotional time…it's always good to have someone here with you…" the doctor said quietly, as she put her hand over Blair's and gave Serena a small smile.

"Yeah," Blair replied, as her voice cracked with emotion and she fought to keep the tears back. She just wanted to leave so she could cry and process all of this information alone.

*****

"B, how long have you known?" Serena suddenly asked, pulling Blair from her jumbled thoughts.

"Known what?" she replied absently, as she stared out the tinted window of the car.

The blonde sighed, "I mean, how long have you known you were pregnant…she said you were about two and a half months along…"

"I…I've known for a while, at least a month…" Blair put her head in her hands, feeling too guilty to meet Serena's eyes. "I just felt like if…if maybe I ignored it, it would all end up being a mistake and none of it would be real."

"You could have told me," Serena stated quietly.

"I know, I was just scared and I didn't want you to be angry with me," Blair responded back. "I still can't believe you aren't."

"Hey, look at me, B…" Serena asked, putting her hand to Blair's jaw and gently turning her head towards her. "I'm not mad at you, I want to be here for you and I will be…you just have to let me." Serena's words had brought tears to Blair's eyes and in that moment, she was so thankful for having her. She wrapped her arms around Serena's waist and buried her face in her silky blonde hair.

"Thank you, S…but do you think it would be alright if I went home, I sort of feel like being alone," Blair whispered against Serena's neck.

"Of course, but promise me if you need anything you'll call, okay?" Serena whispered back. "I love you, babe, and I just want to make sure you're taken care of."

"I promise…and I love you too." Blair responded, before Serena attacked her with kisses and then held her the rest of the way to the penthouse.

**If you like it please review and tell me what you think! I'm hoping to get a few reviews before I put the next chapter up! Thanks!**


	4. The Truth Can Surprise You

"Mom? Do you think I could talk to you for a while?" Blair asked Eleanor in a timid voice, very unlike the usual tone in which she talked to her mother.

Eleanor had been making her way across the black and white tile floor of the foyer when Blair emerged from the elevator, and for some reason Blair felt like telling her mother everything. She was nervous to find out how Eleanor would react, but Blair was hoping she would look past her mistake and she how much she needed her right now.

Eleanor turned around to look at Blair curiously, as she pulled her gloves on; it was unusual to hear a question like that coming from her daughter.

"Blair, darling, I'm just leaving to meet with the buyers from Bendel's."

"Oh, of course, Bendel's…how could I forget!?" Blair answered with a laugh, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity to appease her mother. Bendel's wasn't exactly the first thing on her mind these days.

"Are you feeling alright?" Eleanor asked, still unsure of why Blair suddenly needed to talk to her and why her icy attitude was no where to be found. "You're looking a little pale."

"Um…yeah, I'm fine, I just –,"

"I know, darling, could it wait until later though," she interrupted, glancing at her Fendi watch, "I'm late already."

Blair turned away to prevent her mother from seeing her eyes fill with tears, for what seemed like the millionth time in the past few days. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to reply, but when she turned back the sight of the elevator doors closing made her stop short.

"Its waited two and a half months, a couple more days couldn't hurt," Blair whispered to herself. She blinked away more tears and quickly wiped one away with her knuckle before it could make its way down her porcelain cheek.

She stood in the foyer for a few moments longer, before she decided that she had someone else she needed to talk to. Chuck. This conversation would be the hardest. The outcomes were unimaginable, but she had to tell him before Gossip Girl got a hold of the story, which she undoubtedly would.

Blair made her way into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and then climbed the staircase to her room. She felt exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and watch her favorite classic movies, the ones where the stars weren't pregnant teenagers, much to her dismay.

_Some Like It Hot_ was just beginning to roll the opening credits when Blair's cell phone buzzed next to her, on the purple bedspread. She picked up the phone, smiling when she read the message.

**1 New Message: Serena van der Woodsen**

**Hi baby! Just wanted 2 make sure UR alright! Love U!**

**- S**

It had been less than an hour since she last saw her, but she was glad Serena was thinking of her. Blair giggled a little, thinking of Serena worrying about her already, and then quickly texted her back.

**To: Serena van der Woodsen**

**I'm alright, thanx! It's only been an hr, silly! Love U 2!**

**- B & Baby**

Serena's text message had given Blair a good idea. She would text Chuck before actually calling him to gauge his reaction to her trying to contact him. He would most likely be surprised to see a message from her anyway, and she wasn't even sure he would reply, considering their last conversation. Blair thought back to them sitting in the darkened bar, remembering how he had compared her to one of his father's stupid horses, and instantly felt angry. _That Basstard better be surprised, I wouldn't be contacting him over nothing!!!_

**To: Chuck Bass**

**Bass, I need 2 talk 2 U! Don't B smug, it's imprtnt!**

**- B**

Blair pressed the SEND button and waited for the text message to go through. She could just see his face in her mind as he received the message, that annoying smirk and him thinking she was probably coming back to grovel. Wrong! Then her cell phone beeped back at her…Message Could Not Be Completed.

"What the…" Blair snapped at her cell phone. She tried resending the message, only to receive the same result.

"Damnit!" Blair spat out, and then quickly put her hand against her stomach. "Oh, mommy's sorry, baby!" Maybe the baby couldn't hear her, but if she was going to go through with this, she surely didn't want her child to come out thinking she was a volatile bitch like everyone else did.

Deciding that the text message just wasn't going to work at the moment, she began dialing his number. He was going to have to find out some way or another! So she held the phone to her ear and waited for him to answer, but he never did.

"Disconnected!?" Blair said, yelling at her cell phone and glaring at the screen as if it was the phone's fault. She was getting aggravated now, you could never get straight to the point with Chuck, and you always got the run around. The cell phone was now abandoned on her bedspread again, and she was furiously punching the numbers to the Bass' penthouse into her regular phone.

After the second ring one of the Bass' male staff members answered. "Hello, Bass residence."

"Yes, this is Blair Waldorf, may I speak to Mr. Bass please?" Blair asked in a polite voice, that did nothing to reveal the rage she was about to bestow on Chuck in a few minutes.

"I apologize, Miss Waldorf, but Mr. Bass cannot be reached at the moment."

"No, I'm sorry, I meant Mr. _Chuck_ Bass, not his father." Blair responded back, thinking that the man had made a mistake. Bart Bass was always away on business and was hardly ever reachable, so the mix up made sense.

"I understand, Miss Waldorf, but Mr. Chuck _is_ away."

"Well, do you know where he can be contacted? I'm a close friend of his and I need to be in touch with him." Blair asked. So what if she had lied about the friend part, it was very important.

"Again, I apologize, but Mr. Chuck has relocated to the Caribbean and has asked that no one be given the phone number to contact him." The man stated this fact so nonchalantly that Blair wondered if she was the only one on the Upper East Side who didn't know.

"I'm sure there must be a mistake, I'm Blair Waldorf, and surely he would've wanted me to be able to contact him!" Blair responded back smoothly, trying to sweet talk her way into getting the number.

"There's no mistake, Mr. Chuck informed the entire staff that everyone he should need to be in contact with was already notified. Now, _I do apologize_, Miss Waldorf. Good day to you." The man replied tersely.

"Wait…I…he must have…" Blair sputtered, but the line had already gone dead.

"Ugh, leave it to Chuck Bass to make every possible aspect of my life difficult!" Blair screamed, throwing the phone across the room. Her emotions were already shot from the events of the day, and the Chuck situation pushed her over the edge. She collapsed against her pillows and began to sob, tears running into the satiny material and staining it a dark violet color.

"Is it safe to enter?" Eleanor asked jokingly from outside the partially opened door of Blair's room. She had heard the screamed curse against Chuck Bass and the sound of the phone hitting the floor. So Eleanor assumed that Blair was just in one of her moods, but when she pushed open the door the sight surprised her. Eleanor may not have been the best mother, but seeing her daughter crying her heart out definitely concerned her.

"Blair-Bear, what's wrong, sweetheart!?"

Blair didn't answer; she only shook her head and buried it further into her pillow. She was crying so hard she could barely breathe, so Eleanor did the only thing she could think of, she laid down next to her daughter and held her as she cried. Eleanor couldn't even remember the last time she held her daughter like this and it made her feel pensive and guilty.

"Why are you back so early?" Blair whispered to her mother, who had been gently stroking her hair for the past ten minutes, trying to calm her down.

"I already met with the buyers." Eleanor simply replied.

"But you were supposed to have dinner with them after the meeting…"

"You seemed upset earlier, so I came back."

Lifting her head to look her mother in the eyes, Blair quietly asked. "You cancelled your business dinner to come home with me?"

"I did…today I knew something was wrong, but I had to leave and I'm sorry for that. I know I'm not always here for you, but I'm here now and if you would still like to talk, we can." Eleanor said to Blair, still tenderly petting her hair.

Blair nodded her head silently. She was more nervous than she had ever been before, mainly because her mother was suddenly being so attentive to her and she didn't want to ruin that. Blair took a few deep breaths and then began her story.

"The night after my birthday party I…I had sex with Chuck Bass and now I'm pregnant and I can't reach him, and I'm sorry if I've disappointed you or if I embarrass you." Blair stated simply – looking away – scared to see her mother's reaction.

"Blair, I…I wasn't expecting to hear this." Eleanor said quietly.

More tears made their way down Blair's cheeks, "I'm so sorry!" she sobbed out and put her hand over her eyes. Then Eleanor surprised her once more by taking her into her arms and whispering comforting words.

"Shh, I know you didn't mean for this to happen, everything's going to be alright…" Eleanor whispered.

"You're…not…not mad…at me!?" Blair gasped out, trying to catch her breath, practically hyperventilating in the process.

"I'm surprised, but I'm not angry with you," Eleanor said gently.

Blair felt relieved by her mother's reaction and her crying eased; she wasn't expecting her to be this calm. "Thank you…um, Serena took me to the doctor today and I'm two and a half months along, if you wanted to know."

Eleanor smiled, thinking of everything Serena did for Blair and how protective she was of her. "Serena is a sweetheart, she'll take care of you, I know she will and I'll be here for you too."

"She will, thank you mom, I love you." Blair said hugging her mother tightly.

"I love you too, Blair-Bear…so what are we watching next, _Breakfast at Tiffany's_?" Eleanor asked with a smile and got up to put Blair's favorite movie into the DVD player.

"Sounds perfect," Blair said, smiling back.

**Hope everyone liked the new chapter! I truly believe that Eleanor loves and cares about Blair, she just gets caught up in her career and the UES lifestyle, so in this story she's going to be a supportive mother! Don't forget to review...Thanks!!!**


	5. Tiffany Blue Can Cure Anything

It was around seven o'clock on Saturday morning and Serena was tip-toeing through Blair's UES Brownstone trying not to wake anyone. After helping her mother, Lily van der Woodsen, the previous night with a social function, she had promised Blair she would spend Saturday with her. She had already picked up breakfast for Blair and herself, and had just put it into the refrigerator. As she was getting ready to run upstairs and snuggle with Blair, Eleanor suddenly walked quietly into the kitchen.

"Oh, Serena! I wasn't expecting to see you down here!" Eleanor laughed, looking a bit surprised.

Serena also laughed and then put on a joking face. "Yeah, sorry for lurking around at seven in the morning, I just wanted to surprise Blair before she woke up."

"You know its fine dear, I actually wanted to speak with you," Eleanor said smiling at Serena. "Blair told me about everything last night."

"Oh, she did?" Serena responded in a quiet voice.

"Yes, she did...and I just wanted to thank you for bringing her to the doctor and taking care of her." Eleanor said touching Serena's cheek, and then scooping her into a hug.

"You're welcome…so um… what do you think of all this?" Serena asked curiously, as she pulled away. Eleanor didn't seem angry about Blair's pregnancy, but Serena had to be sure, because she knew how much it meant to Blair to have her mother's support.

"I was surprised, of course, but I know there is no sense in trying to make her give up the child, it's not my choice. The decision is solely Blair's and I know she wants to keep the baby, and I want her to be happy. I know she can do this, she's a strong girl – a Waldorf after all!" Eleanor smiled.

"Thank you for understanding, it means so much to Blair…and me too." Serena told Eleanor honestly.

Then Eleanor raised her hand, brandishing a finger at Serena. "But, let me tell you my dear, it's not going to be easy!"

"I understand." Serena replied back, nodding her head and smiling.

"Alright, well run up to Blair before your surprise is ruined!" Eleanor laughed and watched as Serena saluted her and quickly ran from the kitchen, following her orders.

*****

Serena padded silently across the carpeting of Blair's bedroom and then slowly drew back the comforter and sheet to slide in next to her girlfriend's sleeping form. Blair stirred slightly as Serena snuggled into the blankets and buried her face in dark chocolate curls. She snaked her arm around Blair's torso to rest her hand on her lower stomach, only to find that Blair's hand was already there. This made her smile and she placed her hand atop Blair's. It was still hard to believe that there was a tiny human growing beneath their hands.

As Serena laid against Blair, listening to her even breathing, she thought over Eleanor's words. Serena had never planned to fall in love with Blair and she certainly hadn't planned to have a child at such a young age, especially one that wasn't technically her own, but she didn't care. She was completely committed to Blair and she silently promised that she would take care of this baby as if it were her own.

Serena tried to lie still and let Blair sleep, but she was too impatient and wanted to hear about Blair's conversation with her mother. Now purposely trying to wake Blair, she began twirling a piece of hair near Blair's widow's peak around her finger. The brunette's eyelashes fluttered and her brows furrowed together, as she turned her head, trying to get rid of the annoyance.

"B…wake up…"

"Mmm, no!" Blair whined and turned her face into the comforter.

"You won't even wake up for _me_?" Serena asked in a playful voice, basically talking to a pile of blankets.

"Serena, in case you have forgotten I am trying to grow a baby here!" Blair replied, pulling the blankets away from her face, revealing her sleepy eyes to her girlfriend.

"I could never forget," Serena stated and then kissed Blair's check, "but I want to hear all about last night!"

Blair rolled her eyes. "Ugh, please don't remind me."

"But, I talked to your mom this morning, she said everything was good and she didn't even seem angry." Serena said with a questioning look.

"Everything _is_ good between my mother and I, but tell me, have you heard anything from our _dear_ Chuck lately?" Blair asked, her smooth voice dripping with the usual venom towards Chuck. Serena had a confused look on her face and she slowly nodded her head in a silent 'No'.

"Well, neither have I and it seems I won't because _he_ cannot be contacted, because _he_ has moved to the eff-ing Caribbean!" Blair yelled the last few words, raising her hand in the air dramatically and then dropping it back down beside her.

"What!?" Serena asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes, I called his apartment last night and one of their staff members informed me. Nice of Chuck to tell us, right?" Blair replied in a sticky-sweet voice. The voice she used when she was angry and when a situation was completely out of her control, but she still strived for that charming Blair Waldorf perfection.

"B, I don't think anyone else knows about this, I mean I think my mom would have told me if Bart had said something to her…" Serena trailed off, still trying to think of a reason as to why Chuck would suddenly leave the country.

"I guess you're right…" Blair responded. The façade had dropped, but Serena could see through it anyway, she knew Blair was extremely worried about how Chuck would handle the situation.

Serena was still thinking over the news when Blair broke the silence with her quietly spoken statement. "I sort of just wish he would stay there and I would never have to tell him."

"I understand, B, but don't stress yourself out over this, you don't need that now. Let me talk to my mom, and I'll ask her if she knows anything." Serena reassured Blair, picking up her hand and lacing their fingers together.

Blair rolled her eyes again. "I'll try not to…so, what are we doing today?"

"Hmm…oh! I have a good idea! Let's go shopping for baby stuff!" Serena squealed, bouncing up and down on the bed. "Cute, cute, cute!"

Blair's face brightened at Serena's idea, but quickly turned to a frown. "No, S, we can't do that. Someone would see us and take pictures, and then you know what that bitch Gossip Girl would say."

"Who cares about Gossip Girl, let's go have fun! If anyone asks we'll tell them it's for your cousin in France!" Serena exclaimed excitedly.

"Serena, I don't even have a cousin in France!" Blair laughed.

"That's the point, if we don't know who she is, nobody else does either!" Serena said giddily, as she stood up and began jumping on Blair's bed.

"Hey! Serena!" Blair yelled at her hyper girlfriend.

"Do I have to start begging?" Serena said, continuing to jump at the foot of the bed. Blair threw a pillow at her, but she quickly dodged it. "Please, B, please, or should I say 'Please, mom, please,' because that's what you're going to be hearing from now on!"

Blair put on an appalled face and Serena gave her an evil laugh. "That's it, you're going down van der Woodsen!" Blair yelled, jumping up and grabbing Serena around her waist to pull her down.

Serena continued to giggle and squirm, until Blair finally just rolled her off the end of the bed and she landed with a thud. Blair peeked over the edge of the bed with a triumphant grin on her face. Serena was lying on her back, laughing and trying to catch her breath.

"Remind me…to never provoke a pregnant woman again!" Serena gasped out, as she began to pick herself up off the floor.

"You shouldn't need reminding after that, now let's go eat breakfast." Blair said, as she stood up.

"Yes, lets! I picked some stuff up, but I don't really know if you need it, it seems those pregnancy hormones are already giving you super human strength!" Serena laughed at her own comment. Then wrapped her arms around Blair from behind and began walking them both out the door.

"I thought you weren't going to provoke me anymore!" Blair huffed and pushed back against Serena.

"I'm bigger than you, so just keep walking!" Serena laughed again, hugging her girlfriend tighter and pushing her along.

*****

An hour later the two girls were sitting against the bathtub, with Blair leaning her head against the cool white marble.

"Sorry, I didn't mean for breakfast to make you sick…" Serena said quietly.

"I'm pretty sure it's not your fault, S." Blair replied and then quickly put her fist against her mouth, willing herself not to throw up again. It didn't help though, a few seconds later she was vomiting and dry heaving into the toilet. Serena stood up and went to the sink, grabbing a wash cloth out of the drawer and wetting it with cold water, before wringing it out and sitting back down.

Once Blair had finished and had slumped back against the bathtub, Serena gently tipped her head back and dabbed the cold sweat from her hairline.

"I hope this doesn't happen every morning…" Blair said in a pained voice.

"Well if it does, I'll be sitting here right along with you, wash cloth in hand." Serena replied, smiling at Blair, who was thoroughly unhappy. "We don't have to go out today if you don't want to"

The brunette groaned and let her head fall onto to Serena's shoulder. "I want to go, but just let me sit here a while."

"Alright…" Serena said, wrapping her arms around Blair. "So where do you want to go shopping this afternoon?"

"Tiffany's!" Blair chirped cheerfully, the prospect of spending way too much money on jewelry suddenly wiping away the effects of morning sickness.

"Tiffany's!? What does that have to do with babies!?" Serena teased, laughing at her girlfriend's sudden burst of energy.

"The baby charms, duh! Oh, S, they're so cute and you know I love going there!" Blair stated with a smile.

"Oh no, I can already see those beautiful brown eyes glazing over with Tiffany Blue! Ahh!" Serena yelled, continuing to tease Blair.

"We're going, Serena!" Blair said smacking Serena in the arm, and laughing at her antics.

"Yes we are, baby, yes we are!" Serena laughed, pulling Blair up to get ready for their afternoon of shopping.

**Hope everyone liked the update! In the next chapter the girls will be doing a little shopping! We'll also be hearing from a few more of our favorite Upper East Siders! Don't forget to review, thanks!**


	6. Everything Will Fall Into Place

Chapter 6 – Everything Will Fall Into Place

"Aww, these are so adorable!" Blair squealed, holding a tiny platinum charm of a rocking horse. She and Serena had been fawning over the little charms for the past thirty minutes.

"Blair, which one?" Serena asked and waited for Blair to look at the two charms in each one of her hands. They were identical platinum heart locks, but one said "It's A Girl," and the other said "It's A Boy." Understanding the meaning behind Serena's question, Blair quickly answered with the obvious choice.

"I want a baby girl." Blair stated with a soft smile on her face.

Serena stepped closer to Blair and rested her hands on her waist, "Me too" she whispered, and then pressed a gentle kiss against Blair's lips. "I want us to have a daughter."

Blair stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around Serena's neck and buried her face in silky blonde hair. Serena's genuine acceptance of this whole situation still caught Blair off guard at times.

"So which ones are we buying?" Serena asked pulling Blair away to look at her gorgeous face. She was secretly hoping that Blair wouldn't want to buy the charms today, because she had come up with her own idea as a gift for Blair.

"Hmm…all of them!" Blair exclaimed.

"Ha, I don't think so, shouldn't we wait until we find out the sex of the baby?" Serena asked, trying to convince Blair.

"That's a good idea…you're so smart, S!" Blair said in a playful voice. Then she began walking to another part of the store to look at the engagement rings.

Once Blair had walked a safe distance away, Serena turned around to the sales clerk. "Could you please put all of these on hold for me, I'll be back to purchase them very soon, just don't tell her…it's a secret!" Serena said in a low voice, motioning to Blair.

The woman behind the counter smiled and quickly whisked the sparkling charms away before Blair noticed. Serena walked up to Blair where she was still looking at engagement rings and wrapped her arms around her from behind, resting her chin on Blair's shoulder.

"Which one is your favorite?" Serena whispered in Blair's ear.

"This one…" Blair responded, tapping the glass with her fingernail. She was pointing to a 2-carat Marquise diamond, set in a simple platinum band.

"That one _is_ beautiful," Serena said, breathing in the scent of Blair's hair and thinking of how she wanted to be with this woman forever. Blair broke into her thoughts by turning around in her arms, and looking into her deep blue eyes.

"What are you thinking about, Serena?" Blair asked quietly.

"I'm thinking about how being in Tiffany's can put a girl in a totally romantic mood." Serena whispered back, before kissing Blair again.

Blair kissed her back for a few seconds before pulling away. "That's why I love this place…but I think we better get going…as much as I would love for you to make love to me on one of these glass cases, I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it!" Blair laughed and pointed to the older man working behind the counter, inspecting different pieces of jewelry.

"I think you're right!" Serena stated with a laugh, putting up her index finger. "Let's go!"

Serena and Blair thanked the sales clerks for showing them the jewelry, and then headed for the door. As the two stepped out onto the side walk, Serena grabbed Blair's hand and laced their fingers together, swinging their hands back and forth.

"So…" Serena began, "Me making love to you in Tiffany's, huh? That must be the ultimate Blair Waldorf fantasy."

"S, drop it!" Blair said in a warning tone.

"I can see you in nothing but diamonds…the glass completely fogged…" Serena continued in a seductive voice, even though see was trying not to burst out laughing. She knew she was annoying Blair, but that was the point.

"Serena!" Blair whined. "I think that guy just heard you!"

Serena wasn't finished with her voicing of Blair's sexual fantasies though. "Forget _Breakfast at Tiffany's_, more like _Orgasms at Tiff_-"

Blair abruptly cut her off by clapping her hand over her mouth. Serena was laughing behind Blair's hand, but Blair wasn't laughing, she was glaring at Serena in that classic Blair way that made Serena laugh even more. After a few seconds of trying to keep the death glare going, Blair finally broke down in a fit of giggles with her girlfriend.

Blair removed her hand from Serena's mouth, while laughing. "What am I going to do with you?" Serena just shrugged in that obscenely adorable way of hers and gave Blair a huge grin.

"I'll make you a deal, S, if you can refrain from exploiting my fantasies in public today, you can tell me all about yours later tonight…" Blair whispered to her with a mischievous smile, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

"Deal!" Serena announced, taking Blair's hand and continuing down the sidewalk. The couple didn't even notice the random figure across the street snapping pictures of them.

*****

**Spotted: Our two favorite Upper East Side ladies strolling down Fifth Avenue and rivaling Audrey Hepburn's romantic performance outside Tiffany & Co. It's so wonderful to see B following in her daddy's footsteps! We also hear there is a baby on the way, could this explain why Queen B was tightly clutching her Golden Goddess' hand as if she were in…**_**labor**_**. No, because the mother-to-be is an unknown Waldorf cousin in France, but B is positively glowing, isn't she? It must just be the radiance of true love that gives B her color; otherwise these two are hiding something from us…especially S. We would love an invitation to the baby shower, girls, no matter who the mommy is! Until next time…**

**You know you love me,**

**Gossip Girl**

*****

A cell phone beeped and a tan masculine hand picked it up off the table, replacing it with an electric blue drink in a tall glass. Chuck Bass opened his phone to find a new message from Gossip Girl. He may have moved to St. Bart's for an indefinite amount of time, but he still had to keep track of his cohorts on the Upper East Side, even if they had no idea. Clicking open the message and quickly reading through it made Chuck curse under his breath.

"What's wrong, honey?" A bronzed brunette asked him in a heavy Spanish accent.

"Mmm, nothing you have to worry about." Chuck replied in his slow smooth voice, tracing the tip of his finger along the woman's jaw line, making her smile.

Chuck shut the phone and tossed it back onto the table next to him. Blair didn't have a cousin in France, and he knew it. His thoughts were racing…could Blair really be pregnant? Gossip Girl wasn't the most reliable source, but if she really was then…no he refused to believe that. Maybe he was the only person she had slept with as far as he knew, but he had been gone for weeks now. _Stupid slut probably couldn't get enough after she had me._

*****

Just after Serena had thrown her and Blair's Bendel's bags into the trunk of the town car, she felt her cell phone vibrate with a new text message in her pocket. After she slid in next to Blair she removed the phone from her pocket and clicked open the message.

"Ugh, it's Gossip Girl." Serena groaned.

"Give me that!" Blair demanded, snatching the phone out of Serena's hand before she could even answer.

"Hey!" Serena snapped with a glare, but her face quickly softened when she saw Blair finish reading the message with tear-filled eyes.

"B, what's wrong, what does it say!?" Serena asked. She tried to turn Blair's face towards her, but Blair pulled her head away and put her hands over her face. Serena picked up the phone and read through the message. She and Blair had been having so much fun together this afternoon, leave it to Gossip Girl to ruin Blair's day. The message took a few stabs at their relationship and of course, hinted at Blair's pregnancy.

"You know who's going to get that message, don't you!?" Blair huffed, lifting her head up.

"B, you can't be sure, he might not-," Serena stated, trying to calm Blair.

"Of course he would, Serena!" Blair said, shaking her head.

Blair was right. There was no way Chuck was going to sever every tie with Manhattan, and Gossip Girl was the most resourceful way to keep in touch. Serena had never cared much about the nonsense messages, but they had always hurt Blair in some way or another.

The blonde slid further towards Blair and pulled her into her lap, she didn't want her girlfriend upsetting herself over something as dumb as Gossip Girl. "Blair, people are always going to talk about us and we have to ignore it. I know she says hurtful things, but don't let that ruin how happy you've been lately. I know you're excited about the baby and I want it to stay that way, okay?"

Blair nodded against Serena's neck, she wasn't crying, but she suddenly felt completely drained. The emotional highs and lows combined with being pregnant always exhausted her.

"Alright, now we're going to go have dinner with my mom like we planned and we're going to have fun! I demand it!" Serena announced playfully. Blair giggled, her face still pressed against Serena's neck. Serena wrapped her arms around her and gave her a squeeze. "I love you, Blair."

"I love you too, Serena." Blair whispered back. Then let her eyelids flutter shut, taking advantage of her comfortable position lying on Serena. After a few minutes she had dozed off, lulled by the low hum of the engine and Serena's steady heartbeat.

*****

The town car finally coasted to a stop in front of Serena's apartment, and Serena rubbed Blair's back, gently waking her up.

"We're here, baby." Serena whispered and then kissed her temple.

Blair lifted her head, squinting her eyes against the bright street lights outside the car. "I feel like I've been sleeping forever." Blair stated with a confused look. She had been sleeping so soundly that now she just wanted to go back to sleep.

Serena rolled her eyes and laughed. "You sort of were. We got stuck in traffic for like an hour and my leg totally went numb like twenty minutes ago." Blair just cackled and began climbing out of the car, with Serena right behind her.

Lily had been dying to see Blair ever since Serena had announced the pregnancy to her, so tonight the three were having dinner together at the van der Woodsen's apartment. Not that Blair's belly was even noticeable yet, but Lily insisted on seeing Blair right away.

"Mom?" Serena called out, as she and Blair stepped off the elevator.

A few moments later, Lily emerged from the kitchen and smiled at the two girls she had been taking care of their entire lives. Serena and Blair had been best friends for as long as she could remember, and she always tried to be there for Blair because she knew Eleanor usually wasn't around.

"Oh, Blair, how are you honey? You look beautiful!" Lily gushed, pulling Blair into a hug and kissing both her cheeks. Lily was being motherly and asking Blair a bunch of questions about how she had been feeling lately. Serena just stood watching, waiting to be noticed too.

"Wow, neglectful mother much?" Serena asked jokingly, she had just seen her mother the night before.

Lily still had her arm around Blair's waist but she put her other arm out for Serena. "Aww, poor Serena, come here baby!" Lily teased.

*****

After dinner, Lily ushered the girls to the living room, telling the two she had something for them. Serena and Blair sat on the couch for a few minutes before Lily reemerged from her bedroom, carrying a pale yellow gift bag with white tissue paper poking out the top.

"Just a little something to celebrate, since there's no champagne in your near future, Blair!" Lily laughed, handing the bag to the brunette. Blair frowned at Lily's very true comment, but then her face brightened.

"It will be worth it, thank you!" Blair replied. Inside the bag there were three onesies, two bibs, and a bath set, all from Burberry with cute check collars and piping.

"Baby's first Burberry!' Lily exclaimed.

The girls thanked Lily and chattered about how cute the baby was going to look snuggled up in the little Burberry outfits. It was easy to see that this baby was going to be the most spoiled on the Upper East Side. Then, Lily stood up and went back to her bedroom, telling Blair and Serena she had one more thing for them. She came back with a small pink book in her hand.

"There are probably new modern names by now," Lily said rolling her eyes humorously, "but this is the one I picked Serena's name from."

Blair accepted the book with a smile and Serena scooted closer as Blair began flipping through the pages. She turned to the page that had its corner bent down and found the name Serena highlighted in pink.

"Aww, that's you, S!" Blair cooed and turned her head upwards, giving Serena a quick peck on the cheek.

"It was either Serena or Valerie." Lily said.

"Valerie!?" Serena shouted and screwed up her face.

Blair burst into laughter, thinking about what Serena could have possibly been named. "Valerie van der Woodsen…Val van der Woodsen." Blair said aloud, testing the name.

"No!" Serena and Blair said in unison, still giggling.

"Well, obviously I made the right choice, hopefully you do too Blair!" Lily stated. "You wouldn't have known any different, Serena."

"Yes, I would have!" Serena proclaimed and Blair smirked, nodding her head.

Lily just shook her head. "Anyway, are you girls staying here tonight? You can if you want to, there won't be anyone here, Bart asked me to go to some boring party tonight."

"Actually we're going back to Blair's," Serena told her, "but since you brought up Bart…um…has he said anything about Chuck lately?"

"No, he hasn't and as a matter of fact, I haven't seen him around lately." Lily replied, arching her eyebrow at Serena's question.

Serena started into the whole story of why Lily hadn't seen Chuck, telling her about Blair's phone call to the Bass residence and Chuck's supposed relocation to the Caribbean. Lily was as surprised as Blair and Serena had been. Bart hadn't said anything about Chuck leaving, but Lily knew that Bart had to know something because there was no way Chuck would be able to reside there without money being transferred.

"I can't believe he would do that, especially without telling his friends." Lily said in a confused tone.

"We're not exactly friends…" Blair muttered under her breath. Lily didn't hear Blair's sarcastic comment though.

"It seems I'll have a lot to talk about with Bart tonight, maybe I won't be bored after all…I'll find out what's going on." Lily stated in a serious voice. Serena smiled, she knew Bart Bass was tough, but he was no match for her mother.

"I hope no one knows where he is…" Blair said with a sad look in her eyes.

Lily moved closer to Blair and put her arm around her shoulders. "It will be alright, he would find out eventually…so it would be better for you to just tell him."

"I know," Blair whispered, "I just don't want to see his reaction, I don't know what will happen."

"I understand, but everything will fall into place, I promise." Lily answered.

**Hope you like it! I'll probably be updating a couple more times by the end of this week since I'll be on Thanksgiving Break! Don't forget to review...thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!**


	7. The Fairest Mother of Them All

**Ok, I feel really guilty because in the last post I said I would be updating a few more times within the week...well that didn't happen, so I apologize! My Christmas Break is a few days away though and I hope to get a lot of writing done during that time, so be on the look out for new chapters! Anyway, thanks for reading, and on with the story!**

Chapter 7 – The Fairest Mother of Them All

"You're sleepy, let's get in bed." Serena whispered to Blair. They had just returned from dinner with Lily at Serena's apartment, and Blair had flopped down at the foot of the bed with her head in Serena's lap. All of the shopping had worn both girls out and now they were ready to snuggle into bed.

"Come on, B, you can't fall asleep here." Serena whispered again, brushing her fingers through Blair's dark chocolate locks.

"Fine…" Blair answered, even though her eyes were still closed. The long fingernails running along her scalp were quickly soothing her to sleep.

Serena ceased the movement of her hand and pulled Blair into a sitting position. She began unbuttoning the petite brunette's shirt, and then tossed it to the floor with the rest of her clothing soon following. Serena turned down the blankets and let Blair crawl into bed, resting her head on the feathery soft pillows.

Blair watched Serena as she undressed herself, heavy eyes sweeping up Serena's back and settling on the flowing blonde waves resting against her shoulder blades as she turned to flip off the light switch. When Serena turned to face the bed again her eyes connected with Blair's and she gave her a soft smile. "You can go to sleep now."

"I'm waiting for you…" Blair replied quietly. Serena smiled wider and walked the rest of the way to the bed. She lied down next to Blair, and Blair immediately scooted closer as Serena pulled her into her body. Serena pressed a kiss against Blair's lips and then pulled back to look into her brown eyes.

"I love you." Blair whispered.

"I love you too." Serena whispered back, and then pushed a few stray tendrils of hair away from Blair's face, and then rested her hand on her cheek. They were looking into one another's eyes, but Serena laughed as Blair could hardly hold hers open.

"Aww, my tired baby…close your eyes." Serena said, moving her hand to the back of Blair's head and pulling it down so that her chin rested on top of it. Blair nodded and mumbled something that Serena couldn't make out. A few moments later, the warm steady breaths hitting Serena's collarbone told her that Blair was asleep, and she then closed her own eyes and drifted off.

*****

Blair awoke in a tangle of long legs and golden hair. She could feel Serena's face pressed against the back of her neck, full lips resting against the sensitive skin below her ear. Blair was trying to force down the feeling of nausea that had woke her up because the sensation of Serena's hot skin against her back was much too comfortable to lose. The digital clock numbers of the iHome sitting on her nightstand read 8:37, much too early to get up on a Sunday morning. She laid there a few moments longer taking deep breaths, before she decided that wasn't going to work. After throwing Serena's arm from around her waist, she leapt out of bed and rushed into her bathroom.

Serena automatically opened her eyes when her arm was tossed back over her own body. The sight of the bathroom door slamming shut and the sound that immediately followed indicated that Blair was having another bout of morning sickness. Serena sighed as she got up and knocked lightly on the door after hearing the toilet flush and Blair brushing her teeth.

Blair opened the door to face her girlfriend with bleary eyes. "I'm okay… just a little nauseous still."

"Do you want to lie back down?" Serena asked, giving Blair a sympathetic look.

"No…but do you want to take a bath with me?" Blair questioned back.

Serena raised her eyebrows at Blair and gave her a smile. "Do I really need to answer that question?" she replied, before slipping her panties down her hips. Blair did the same, and then sat on the edge of the bathtub to turn on the faucet and adjust the water temperature.

Once the tub had filled and Serena settled against the pale marble, Blair sat down in the water and lay back against Serena's chest. Serena brought her hands around Blair's waist and rested them low on her stomach.

"Baby, why are you making your mommy sick?" Serena asked, resting her chin on Blair's shoulder and staring down at her own hands. Blair closed her eyes, put her hands over Serena's and smiled at her playful comment.

"You're going to be so adorable with your baby bump!" Serena exclaimed excitedly. This statement made Blair furrow her perfectly shaped brows together; she hadn't given that much thought yet.

"Oh…I hope I don't look ugly and fat." Blair murmured. Her mind was now churning with thoughts of maternity clothes and stretch marks.

"Mmm, never…you're Blair Waldorf…you always look sophisticated and beautiful." Serena whispered between placing kisses along Blair's neck, her tongue darting out to taste her skin.

Serena could always deter Blair from thinking negatively, especially with her mouth. Blair tipped her head to the side and Serena caught her earlobe between her straight white teeth. "Oh yeah…thanks for reminding me…"

"Anytime…" Serena whispered back, removing her mouth from Blair's ear as she began to play with her dark curls. Blair put her head back against Serena's shoulder and rested her cheek against her girlfriend's neck.

"Feeling okay?" Serena questioned, hoping Blair didn't feel sick again.

"Yes, just thinking…"

"About what?"

"The baby…" Blair answered, playing with the bubbles on top of the water. "Things are going to be really different."

"Yes, but at the same time the baby is going to depend on you and taking care of it will mean so much more to you than doings things for yourself." Serena stated.

"God, S, you sound like you've already raised five kids!" Blair shot back, her voice laced with attitude.

"Blair, don't be like that…what's wrong?" Serena asked gently, ignoring Blair's harsh comment, knowing it meant that she was feeling some sort of insecurity. Blair didn't answer her, she just continued running her fingers through the water silently. Serena wasn't going to let whatever was bothering Blair keep eating away at her, so she pulled Blair around to face her. The brunette wrapped her legs around Serena's waist but she averted her gaze, not wanting to meet Serena's eyes.

"Hey…look at me." Serena told her, as she cupped both of her cheeks and turned Blair's face towards her own. Serena hated the sad look in the deep brown eyes staring back at her.

"What if I'm not a good mother?" Blair said, hardly above a whisper.

"Oh, B, why would you think that?" Serena asked quietly, smoothing her thumb over Blair's cheek.

"I haven't had the best role model…" Blair began, "I don't want my baby to feel like I did when I was little…" she finished, her voice cracking with years of pent up emotion.

Serena hugged Blair's to her body tightly, frustrated that Eleanor's short falls had made Blair feel like she wasn't good enough to be a loving mother.

When Serena pulled Blair's face back both of their eyes were swimming with tears. "Blair, you're going to be the best mother because you know how it feels…everything you wanted when you were small, you can give it to your baby, I know you can…okay?"

Blair nodded her head in Serena's hands; her throat was too tight to speak. Serena brought Blair's forehead against hers. "I know you can…" Serena repeated. "Not everyone sees the real you, but I do and even though you try to act like a meany…you're still the sweetest girl I've ever known."

Blair laughed a little, a stray tear falling off her lower lashes for Serena brush away. "Thanks, S, but don't tell anyone, okay?" Blair joked, still sniffling a bit.

"I would never tell! I don't want anyone else to know you're actually nice…then they might try to steal you away!" Serena gasped, making a funny expression. Blair rolled her eyes playfully as she swiped the remaining moisture from her lashes, and then giggled.

"What?" Serena questioned with a smile.

"I feel like all I ever do is cry!" Blair laughed at herself.

"Well you had me going to, but it's okay, you're pregnant…you're supposed to cry and do weird things!" Serena exclaimed.

"Alright, Serena, whatever you say…" Blair said with another eye roll. "Now come on, let's get out…the water is getting cold!"

"Alright, Blair, whatever you say…" Serena mocked in her best Blair tone.

Blair narrowed her eyes and shook her head in feigned exasperation. "You're the only one who can get away with that."

"I know!" Serena squealed and leapt out of the bathtub, so they could go get dressed.

*****

"Yes, I really have to go Blair, my mom wants me home…we have school tomorrow." Serena answered to her girlfriend, who had been trying to convince her to stay the night again.

Blair was using her puppy dog eyes to her advantage and giving Serena a pouty face from where she was standing against the wall, covering the elevator button. "You can't leave if you can't get on the elevator!" Blair told her slyly.

"Oh, I bet I can…" Serena stated, raising an eyebrow.

"How?" Blair cooed, tilting her head back and forth, mocking the tall blonde standing in front of her.

"Like this…" Serena responded, before leaning down and capturing Blair's soft lips. Her left hand landed on the wall next to Blair's head and her right wrapped around Blair's waist, pulling her close and evening out the height difference. She slowly sucked Blair's lower lip into her mouth, nibbling it gently until Blair parted her lips so she could sweep her tongue into her mouth. Serena loved her girlfriend's little gasps as their tongues dipped against each other. The hand on Blair's upper back traveled down over her curves to rest on the back of her thigh. Serena then pulled her leg upward and hitched it over her own hip, pinning Blair to the wall with her body.

"S…" Blair moaned, as Serena applied wet kisses to the underside of her jaw.

"Shh…" Serena's lips hummed against her ear.

The kisses continued down Blair's neck, all the way to her collarbone, until Serena was completely sure she had forgotten about blocking her from the button. Serena spun their bodies so her own back was against the wall, effectively pressing the button in the process.

"Ahh, no fair," Blair yelled after hearing the ding of the elevator, "You seduced me!" Serena looked at her smugly and then the elevator doors slid open.

"I'm sorry, B, it had to be done." Serena replied, before kissing Blair deeply. When they parted, Serena smiled down at Blair who still had her eyes closed.

"It's alright…" she sighed. "Those kisses should be enough to last me through the night."

"Good, I'm glad." Serena stated before pulling Blair into a hug. "I love you"

"I love you too, Serena." Blair whispered to her.

Serena pulled back a little and put her hand to Blair's belly. "Love you too, baby." Blair smiled at her cuteness and then gave her one last peck on the lips, before letting her go.

"I'll talk to you before I go to sleep, okay? Bye, B."

"Okay, bye S."

*****

"Serena? Is that you?" Lily shouted from the living room.

"Yeah, hang on!" Serena yelled back, as she shrugged her coat off her shoulders. She hung her Dolce & Gabbana trench coat on a hanger and threw her purse on the closet floor, before kicking it closed with her foot.

"Hey!" Serena said to her mother, and then slumped down on the leather couch. Lily didn't answer her; she just gave her an agitated look.

The younger blonde smiled and held her index finger up to her mother. "Whatever you're making that face about, it couldn't have been me…it's only been like twelve hours since I last saw you!" Serena rattled off with a giggle.

Lily rolled her eyes humorously at her daughter's comment. "Hmm, because everyone knows you can be trusted…" Serena just laughed. "No, that face is actually pertaining to what Bart told me about Chuck last night…" Lily stated.

"Oh," Serena answered with a confused look, but recognized the whatever -it-is-it-is-not-good tone in her mother's voice.

Lily clasped her hands in her lap and sighed. "Well, apparently Chuck has been having a little drug problem lately…Bart found out, so he and Chuck decided together, that it would be best for Chuck to enter a rehab program." Lily stated, sounding annoyed.

"In the Caribbean!? Little!?" Serena shrieked.

"My thoughts exactly..." Lily answered in a less than amused voice.

"I can't believe this!" Serena huffed, running a hand through her blonde locks. "Does Bart really think that Chuck is going to come back clean!? The Caribbean is a vacation for him!"

"I know, Serena, but I suppose Chuck and Bart's affairs are their own business…you and Blair really shouldn't have to worry about this." Lily said plainly.

"Blair is going to be so upset…" Serena sighed. "Not only is she pregnant by Chuck Bass, but Chuck Bass the drug addict, she's going to love that!"

"She made a mistake either way…it's just something she has to accept now." Lily replied.

"She has accepted it…this just doesn't make it any easier for her." Serena sighed again.

Lily patted Serena's thigh and smiled at her, she really was proud of her daughter for how responsible she was being. "I understand, but Blair has you now and you'll take care of her."

"I will…" Serena nodded, as she smiled thinking of her girlfriend. "Well, I'm going to go call her before I go to bed…goodnight."

"Goodnight, Serena."

*****

Blair had just settled against her pillows and had begun to flip through the first few pages of the book of baby names when her cell phone rang. She knew it was Serena, so she quickly answered.

"Hi baby! I miss you already!" Blair chirped into the phone happily.

"Hey, I miss you too!" Serena said back, with just as much enthusiasm. Moments like these characterized the girls' relationship, but to most people it would be surprising to see the perfect Blair Waldorf laughing and completely giddy.

"I'm looking through baby names…this is going to be a difficult choice." Blair stated. Serena smiled into her phone, preparing herself for a speech concerning the naming of the baby. "The baby cannot have any average name, Serena, we're going to find something classic and timeless. I want the name to fit at any age, you know? I don't want the name to seem too adult-like when the baby is small, but I don't want it to sound immature when the baby is older either. There has to be balance…"

Serena just listened to Blair's plans for choosing the perfect baby name; Blair always organized and planned everything. "I know we'll come up with an awesome name, we still have six and a half months to decide." Serena told Blair.

"You're right, S…oh and speaking of months, I need to set up an appointment for an ultrasound soon." Blair said thoughtfully.

"Oh yeah, that should be exciting!" Serena stated, but not in her usual over the top excited voice.

"Should be exciting?" Blair asked, her voice monotone. "I thought you'd be a little happier about it than that, I am....well I was." Blair finished, sounding sad.

"No, Blair, I really am excited, I…ugh, I just…I talked to my mom about Chuck tonight." Serena stammered.

"Oh," Blair replied softly, "what did she say?"

"Well, the reason why Chuck left is because he's going to rehab…" Serena said, awaiting the screams or sounds of glass breaking. Instead she just heard a soft sigh over the phone.

"Chuck, Chuck, Chuck…should've know it would be something to that effect." Blair replied surprisingly calmly.

"You're not mad or anything?" Serena asked, testing the waters.

"Right now, I just want to worry about you and I, and the baby. Chuck can go bury his head in the luxurious white, Caribbean sand for all I care." Blair finished smoothly.

Serena laughed. "Aww, B, I'm so proud of you…you didn't even yell!"

"I'm going to try to control my anger…when possible, it's not good for the baby." Blair answered with a giggle.

"Aww, good job momma!" Serena praised her girlfriend with a giggle. "Maybe I better work on that too!"

"Well yeah!" Blair snapped into her phone with mock seriousness and then yawned. "I guess we should go to bed then."

"Yes, we should…I'll see you tomorrow at school, B."

"Okay, love you…"

"I love you too…and B?"

"Yes?"

"I really am proud of you, for everything…"

"Thanks, S…"


	8. Think Pink

**Ok everyone, this chapter is definitely rated M because the girls turn up the heat at the end of this chapter, you have been warned! Enjoy!**

Chapter 8 – Think Pink

A month and a half later, Blair and Serena were once again, sitting in the uncomfortable chairs of the lounge waiting to be called back for Blair's ultrasound. The past few weeks had consisted of lots of morning sickness misery, but that was wiped away by the fact that Blair's belly was beginning to develop into a tiny bump and that they were finally getting to see the baby.

"Remember the last time we were here and you totally ruined your new Coach purse!?" Serena suddenly asked, giggling and squeezing Blair's hand.

"Yes, the events of that day are very clear to me, Serena, it was quite memorable…" Blair said, smiling sarcastically at her girlfriend and then roughly gripping her hand. "It was only the most stressful and worrisome day of my life!"

"I know, but it was still funny…" Serena stated.

"Well, at least I was a good source of cheap entertainment for my ever supportive girlfriend!" Blair quipped, and then smacked Serena's thigh.

*****

Blair was lying on the examination table with Serena standing at her side while the ultrasound technician prepared the machine. She thought back to the last time she had been lying in the same position and of how scared and uncertain she had been. The present situation could not have been more opposite, Blair was beyond excited.

"Okay, Blair, ready to get started!?" The woman asked cheerfully as she uncapped the transmission gel and then squirted a dollop onto Blair's stomach.

"We're definitely ready!" Blair told her and then grinned at Serena.

The woman began running the ultrasound wand against Blair's skin in different patterns, trying to get a good image of the baby, as Serena and Blair stared intently at the computer screen.

"Here we go, this is a good angle…" The technician announced and then pointed to the screen. "Here is the back of the head and you can see a bit of a profile there…"

"Aww!" Blair exclaimed, with a huge smile on her face. Serena was smiling too, but the true happiness on Blair's face as she watched the screen, made Serena smile more than anything.

"Do you want to know the sex or is it going to be a surprise?" The woman asked, looking to Blair for confirmation. Blair looked up to Serena.

"Whatever you want, B…" Serena stated, stroking the back of Blair's hand with her thumb.

"Ok, I want to know!" Blair blurted out, hardly able to contain herself.

The technician chuckled and began moving the wand to different places on Blair's abdomen. "Hopefully this little one will cooperate so we can see…" she stated, and then studied the image on the screen for a few moments. "Well, it looks like you're having…a baby girl!"

"Oh my God!" Both girls squealed in unison.

"I take it you wanted a girl?" The technician said with a smile.

"Yes! We both did!" Blair quickly told her and then sat up to give Serena a hug.

Serena wrapped her arms tightly around Blair, pressing her cheek against her own. "I'm so happy, I love you…" Serena whispered against Blair's ear.

"I love you too…" Blair responded, smiling into Serena's soft hair.

*****

Serena quickly shut the door of the town car against the cool March air and then turned to Blair who was holding the ultrasound pictures in her hand. She gave Blair a mischievous look and then lunged across the seat, straddling her and making her squeal. Serena held her girlfriend's cheeks in her gloved hands and sprinkled light kisses all over her face and neck.

"I love you, I love you, I love you!" Serena said, pulling back after giving Blair a sufficient amount of kisses.

"I love you too, S." Blair whispered, holding one of the pictures up between their bodies. "It's still hard to believe sometimes…"

"Yeah…" Serena answered absently as she studied Blair's features.

Blair brushed a few blonde strands away from Serena's forehead to look into her eyes. "What?" Blair's simple question jostled Serena from her thoughts and her blue eyes connected with Blair's.

"It's just…she's going to be really beautiful…" Serena stated quietly. Blair's cheeks flushed and she lowered her gaze, smiling softly. Blair pulled the blonde against her and rested her head beneath her chin, enjoying the scent of citrusy perfume.

"When did you get so sweet?" Blair breathed out.

"When I found my wonderful girlfriend…" Serena answered, holding Blair tighter. The brunette just grinned against the collar of Serena's coat.

"Let's have dinner tonight…" Serena murmured.

"Where do you want to go?" Blair asked.

"Nowhere…" Serena stated. "We'll make something…you're mom isn't going to be home tonight, right?"

"Mhmm…" Blair answered, just as the car pulled up along the sidewalk.

"Good, because I want you all to myself tonight…" Serena whispered into her girlfriend's ear, and then took Blair's hand, leading her out of the car.

*****

"Are we really making something?" Blair asked in a confused voice from where she leaned against the counter, as she flipped through the cookbook Serena had put in front of her. Blair was quite sure she could cook if she wanted to, but it was more of Dorota's forte.

"Yes, we're going to make something!" Serena stated loudly. Cupboard doors were banging and most of the drawers in the kitchen were pulled open as Serena hunted for different items and utensils. Blair made a face to herself as she continued to scan the many recipes in the cookbook, analyzing the difficulty level in her head and wondering about Serena's cooking potential.

"Why, do you doubt me!?" Serena asked suddenly, turning to Blair and thrusting a wooden spoon at her as if it were a sword.

Blair swiftly brought the cookbook up to cover her grin so only her eyes were visible. "Um…no?" Blair giggled unsurely. Serena shot her a glare, threw the wooden spoon back into an open drawer and then began sauntering up to Blair. The brunette quickly tossed the cookbook onto the counter and leapt away, trying to get to the other side of the bar.

"I don't think so!" Serena shouted, as she caught Blair around the waist and pushed her up against the counter with her body. Blair was laughing uncontrollably, turning her face away to hide from the tall blonde who was looking down at her and shaking her head.

"I try to be a caring girlfriend and make you dinner, but you don't even think I can do it…" Serena sniffled, finishing her sentence in a pitiful voice.

"I just didn't know you cou-," Blair began, but was interrupted by a playfully pouting Serena.

"No, no, it's fine…you can just call Dorota to make something for you…" Serena stated, as she walked across the kitchen.

Blair ran after Serena and wrapped her arms around her. "No, S! I want you!"

"Oh, you want me, huh? Why didn't you say so?" Serena asked as she turned around and pushed Blair back against the counter. Then Serena grabbed her hips, lifting her onto the counter and pushing Blair's body down to the cool marbled surface. The blonde pushed herself onto the counter top as well, kneeling on the edge as she straddled Blair's body. Serena suddenly swooped down and captured Blair's earlobe between her teeth, warming the brunette's neck with her breath.

Blair laughed as Serena pressed herself against her body. "My mom would so kill us if she saw this!"

"Mmm, but your mom isn't here…" The blonde whispered in a low voice. She was pulling Blair's hips up against her own, and the friction between their bodies was making Blair melt.

"You're making me crazy, S." Blair breathed out, as Serena pushed the neckline of her shirt aside and sucked on her collarbone. "We have to stop…"

"I know…" Serena replied, dragging her mouth away from Blair's skin and kneeling again. Serena combed her fingers through her hair, trying to cool herself down but hardly succeeding. She slid off the counter and Blair followed her lead by sitting up.

"What do you want to eat?" Blair asked.

"You…" Serena quipped.

"Serena!"

Serena giggled a little. "Don't act like you don't want me to!" Blair just put her head down, unsuccessfully hiding her guilty smirk from her girlfriend.

The blonde opened up another cupboard and pulled out a container with spaghetti noodles in it. "Red wine spaghetti?" She questioned Blair.

"Fine with me…" The brunette responded. Serena gathered a cutting board, knife, and a few cloves of garlic, and then set them down in front of Blair who was now stretched out on her stomach.

"I thought you said your mom would kill you for that?" Serena teased.

"Well, I thought you said she wasn't here…" Blair responded with a wink and then began smashing and peeling the garlic cloves.

After Blair had finished her chopping, she laid her head down on her crossed arms. She watched as Serena prepared the rest of the meal, exchanging smiles with her when she would turn around to grab something else.

"You're being so motherly right now, S." Blair murmured.

"Well, that's good!" Serena laughed, as she took two frosted martini glasses from the freezer.

"Oh, a martini sounds so good!" Blair whined eyeing the now water-filled glasses as Serena put a slice of lemon on the rim of each one.

The blonde handed a glass to Blair and then opened the refrigerator, taking out an unseen item before turning back to Blair. "Here, you can pretend!" Serena said, tossing an olive into Blair's frosty glass.

"Ew!" Blair giggled, as she sat up and fished the olive out.

Serena plated the spaghetti and sat the plates next to Blair before hopping up on the counter to face her girlfriend. Blair just laughed and shrugged her shoulders. Serena picked up Blair's hand and intertwined their fingers, and then picked up her water. Blair raised her glass as well.

"A toast to the amazing news of having a baby girl! Think pink…only five more months!" Serena said excitedly and then clinked her glass against Blair's. A smile spread across the brunette's features and she leaned upward to place a gentle kiss on Serena's lips.

"Okay, try it and tell me what you think." Serena stated, as she twirled spaghetti onto her fork and then fed it to Blair.

"It's really good…I'll tell Dorota to watch her back." Blair replied with a smirk, after dabbing her lips with her napkin. After they had finished eating, Serena placed all of their dishes in the sink and they made their way up to Blair's bedroom.

*****

Serena was lying in the center of Blair's bed, on her luxurious silk sheets, waiting for Blair to finish washing her face and brushing her teeth. Her fingers skimmed the slippery material of one of the pillows, anticipating the touch of something much softer.

A few moments later Blair emerged from the bathroom, looking gorgeous as usual in her dark violet lingerie, which made the small puff of her lower stomach all the more noticeable. She walked to her bureau across the room and lit the two vanilla scented candles setting there, giving the room a warm glow. Once she had finished, Serena's gaze followed Blair as she made her way back to the bed and sat down at the edge.

"Blair…" Serena stated quietly, her hand sliding along the comforter. Blair smiled sweetly before taking her hand and moving forward to give Serena a light kiss. She swept her long curls over her shoulder as she moved astride Serena's hips and then lay down on her chest. Fingers immediately began playing with the dark hair that spilled onto the pillow, making Blair sigh contently. Serena let her eyes shut, relaxed by the feeling of holding her girlfriend close and breathing in the soft scent of her hair.

They lay together for several minutes, until Blair began placing feathery kisses to the top of Serena's breasts, making her lips part and her eyes flutter open. The brunette raised herself to her knees, and mysterious brown eyes gazed into deep blue ones. Blair smiled slowly at Serena as she started to graze her fingernails along Serena's sides.

"I've missed this, S…" Blair said in a quiet voice.

"I've missed it too, we've just been busy with-," Serena began to reply, but was cut short by Blair's index finger against her lips.

"Shh, we won't think about that now, tonight is for us…I need this…I need you." Blair whispered against the blonde's lips, before catching them in a searing kiss. Serena responded fervently, moaning in the back of her throat when Blair deepened the kiss and swept her tongue into her mouth. Blair's tongue still tingled with mint as their tongues moved together in a lazy back and forth pattern.

Serena smoothed her hands over Blair's curves, moving them downward to hook her fingers into the satiny material of Blair's panties. She started pulling them off, waiting for Blair to lift each knee in turn, before tossing them to the floor. Blair arched into Serena's touch as an arm was wrapped around her shoulders, so Serena could pull her close and nuzzle her neck. She sucked at the skin behind Blair's ear, letting Blair hear her soft sighs.

"Touch me, S…" Blair gasped, as she gripped her girlfriend's hand and guided it between her thighs. They both moaned into one another's mouths as Serena's fingers slipped against slick flesh.

"Serena…" Blair whined, willing her to move her fingers.

"I know, babe." Serena answered, fulfilling her needs as she began drawing her fingers in and out of Blair. The brunette inhaled suddenly, overcome by the feeling of Serena's fingers inside her. Serena cupped the back of Blair's head, bringing their foreheads together so she could look into her girlfriend's dark eyes as she made love to her.

Suddenly, Serena flipped Blair onto her back to set a much quicker pace with her fingers, making the petite brunette cry out. Surprise hit Serena as she felt Blair quickly slip her digits into her, while she had been studying the way Blair's eyebrows were furrowing together.

"Oh…B!" Serena moaned, grinding against Blair's hand. A bliss-filled smile graced Blair's features as she looked up into her girlfriend's face. The thrust of Serena's fingers became more rapid and Blair matched her rhythm exactly.

Blair loved looking up to the determined face of her attentive girlfriend as she sent her body through wave after wave of pleasure. Beads of sweat gathered at Serena's hairline and strands of blonde hair fell across her face, as her blue eyes sparkled with passion. The image was enough to send Blair over the edge, moaning and clutching Serena's shoulders.

"Blair…ah, Blair…" Serena said through gritted teeth, immediately following Blair with her own climax. Both girls stilled their fingers and Serena rested her forehead on Blair's, feeling her little pants against her lips. Serena gave Blair a deep kiss and held herself above her girlfriend for a few more moments, before collapsing and letting her head fall onto Blair's stomach.

The blonde's fast breathing tickled Blair's skin as she leaned forward and kissed the top of Serena's head. She stroked the sweat from Serena's temple and held her hand to overheated flesh.

"I love you so much, Serena." Blair whispered.

"I love you so much too, Blair." Serena replied, lifting her head to look into Blair's eyes as she told her. Blair smiled as Serena yawned and then placed her head back onto her stomach, wrapping her arm tightly around her waist. The blonde fell asleep after only a few minutes.

Blair pulled the silk sheet up to Serena's shoulders, the smooth fabric gliding over their skin. She brushed her hand through Serena's blonde locks and pushed the loose pieces away, so she could look at the face of her sleeping girlfriend.

Serena was the most gorgeous woman she knew and she was hers. Serena took care of her like no one else ever had before and she was so grateful for it. Looking at Serena's face as she slept made Blair realize just how fortunate she was, her world had been tipped upside down, but together they had made into something amazing.

"I love you, S…where would I be without you?" Blair stated quietly to herself and her soundly sleeping girlfriend, before kissing Serena's head once more and then closing her eyes.

**I hope you all liked this chapter, please leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks!**


	9. Bass Is Back

Chapter 9 – Bass Is Back

It was the end of May, summer was rapidly approaching on the Upper East Side and Blair was now a little over six months pregnant. She and Serena had just graduated from Constance Billard School for Girls, and since the pregnancy hadn't been planned, she continued to marvel over the fortunate timing. So what if she hadn't even applied to Yale, she knew she would have to hold off on that dream for a couple years.

The past few months had gone by in a whirlwind and each time Blair ticked off the days on her calendar, she realized how her August 21st due date was rapidly drawing near. Topping the list of events, along with the close to twelve years at Constance Billard, was the surprisingly mild public news of Blair's pregnancy. It had caused quite a buzz for a few days, but with final exams and preparing for graduation most people were too busy for rumors. The fact that Serena had gestured strangulation with her Hermes scarf upon seeing some freshman girls trying to take pictures of Blair, also helped the gossip to almost literally, die down completely. Now, all the girls had to do was enjoy their summer and the little bit of free time they had before the baby was born.

*****

"It really doesn't look bad, baby, I think you look cute." Serena stated as she held Blair from behind and they studied her reflection in the full length mirror of the dressing room. They had come to the store to buy a new wardrobe for Blair that would fit her growing belly, but Blair was just not having it.

"The fact that I had to go up like 30 sizes in clothing is not cute, Serena!" Blair shouted sarcastically, glaring at Serena through the mirror. Then, she broke loose from Serena's hold and began flinging different articles of clothing at her to hold. "Whatever you're holding is what I'm buying and then I'm not doing this again!"

Serena laid the items over her arm neatly and watched as Blair tore through her purse for a credit card. After half of the contents of the bag had spilled onto the dressing room floor, Blair finally found the credit card she was searching for tucked into her wallet, exactly where Serena knew it had been, but she dare not say anything.

Blair let out her breath in a huff and handed the card over to her girlfriend. "Will you just go buy these hideous clothes!? I'm going outside, it's too hot in here!"

"Yeah, B, I'll be out in a few minutes." Serena replied. She knew it was better to let Blair's icy remarks go because after a while her temper would pass, as it always did.

When Serena emerged with bags in hand, Blair was standing against the building with her back against the cool stone. Serena gave her a small smile, but Blair didn't even attempt to give her one back. "Do you want to walk through the park?" Serena asked her quietly.

"Fine…" Blair answered in a monotone voice, shrugging her shoulders.

"Okay…" Serena told her as she switched the shopping bags to her other hand and gently gripped Blair's fingers. "Come on."

They walked silently through Central Park for a while until they came to a bench in a secluded area. Serena sat down and set the bag on the ground next to her, and then looked up to see Blair still standing in front of her.

"Blair, what's wrong?" She asked, giving the brunette a curious look.

"Can I sit on your lap?" Blair questioned back, looking sad.

"Come here, B, you know you can…" Serena stated, holding her arms out to her girlfriend. Blair sat down across Serena's legs, and after a little adjusting, managed to put her feet up on the bench. "Feeling better, now?"

Blair's eyes were downcast when Serena had asked the question, but when she lifted her gaze Serena could see that they were shining with moisture. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, S…it's just that…I'm tired and hot, and my feet hurt…and…and those clothes are awful!" Blair finished shakily, as a couple tears dripped down her cheek.

"Aww, it's okay...shh, don't cry…" Serena whispered as she wrapped Blair in a hug and kissed her tears away.

"I can't help it!" Blair cried, hanging her head on Serena's shoulder.

"I know, it's alright…" Serena said soothingly. "Here, let me take your shoes off." Blair bent her knees, so Serena could reach her strappy sandals and undo the tiny buckles. She slid the shoes off and tenderly rubbed the red welts that the straps had left on Blair's swollen feet.

"No more high heels for you, sweetheart." Serena told her girlfriend while she ran her fingertips along her cheekbone, wiping a tear away. Blair just nodded wordlessly.

"Let's go home and take a nap, okay?" Serena stated, and then placed a light kiss on Blair's cheek.

"That sounds nice…" Blair mumbled.

"Mmm, I know, so let's get out of this park and into your bed for some snuggling." Serena whispered, placing her hand on the roundness of Blair's stomach.

The two made their way out of the park after Blair grudgingly put her sandals back on and made Serena promise to hail a cab. When they reached the street, Serena stepped to the curb and raised her hand, but then quickly put it back down, as she suddenly remembered something important.

"Oh! I forgot, I have to pick up some of my things from the apartment!" Serena said in an annoyed voice, hoping to convince Blair with her completely fabricated statement. She actually had forgotten all about how she was supposed to pick up the bracelet and charms she had secretly bought for Blair. It had been hard enough keeping her cell phone out of sight so Blair wasn't asking why Tiffany's had left a message stating her custom engraving was finished.

Blair rolled her eyes impatiently and sighed. "You have to do that now?"

"Well yeah, because I…um…I don't have any pajamas to wear tonight." Serena stated matter-of-factly.

"Pajamas?" Blair asked in a questioning voice as she arched her eyebrow. "When was the last time you slept in my bed wearing pajamas?"

"Um…"

"Never, because I usually have you naked or in lingerie, at the most." Blair said lowly, before Serena could even respond.

"That's what I meant…I got new lingerie! I wanted to show it to you!" Serena exclaimed with a bright smile.

Blair was still eyeing her suspiciously. "Alright…" She replied slowly and curiously, knowing the blonde was up to something. She was the master at cracking anyone's secret, but luckily for Serena she was too tired out to care.

"Oh, but don't worry, you can go home and get started on that nap we talked about, and then I'll sneak in and snuggle you up!" Serena said happily as she raised her hand again, hailing a cab before Blair had any time to disagree.

Blair threw the shopping bag across the seat of the cab and sat down, looking at Serena and shaking her head. "I guess I'll see you later…love you, S."

Serena bent down and placed a quick peck on Blair's lips, before giving the driver the address. "I'll be back in a while, love you too."

*****

As the taxi weaved in and out of traffic, Blair laid her head against the seat and smiled to herself. Serena was definitely up to something and since she had no idea what it was, it had to be something for her. The brunette turned her head to look at the passing store fronts, noticing the Godiva shop on the right.

"Sir, could you pull over here…thank you…" Blair stated, as she grabbed a few bills out of her purse and then handed them to the man. She could walk the rest of the way to the penthouse from this distance, and once she got her hands on her favorite European Truffles she could care less about her feet hurting. Godiva had been her weakness before the pregnancy, but now her cravings had increased ten-fold.

After finding her truffles, Blair swung the bag cheerily as she walked out of the shop, only to be shocked by the image of Chuck Bass standing before her. Her ninety days of peace had just ended.

"You!?" Blair spat at him.

"And you…I see Gossip Girl was right on the mark with her little inference about…" Chuck widened his eyes and gestured nonchalantly to Blair's obviously pregnant stomach. "…about that."

"You have no idea about this!" Blair hissed, placing her hand on the side of her belly.

"You're right…I have no idea about what you've become, I guess I was wrong when I said that no one would want you." Chuck drawled slowly, shaking his head as he looked her up and down.

Don't Chuck, you don't…you…" Blair stammered, trying to find words for a situation she had not been expecting to be thrown into.

That signature smirk spread across Chuck's face and he laughed quietly. "It's a sad day when Blair Waldorf can't form a proper insult, I can tell whoring it up with the entire Upper East Side has exhausted a few brain cells."

Chuck's words stung. Why couldn't she just have gone straight home, instead of stopping? Now, she was standing out on a sidewalk by herself being called a whore in public. "Chuck, I don't have to listen to this, I'm leaving." Blair told him, in as strong a voice as she could muster when actually, she was close to tears.

"That's fine, because nothing has changed in the past few months…you still disgust me, only now even more so." Chuck stated bluntly. "Oh and by the way, Waldorf, the truffles might not be the greatest choice." He laughed, pinching his cheek before walking past her.

Blair gasped a little and clenched the side of her tongue between her teeth to keep the tears that were threatening to fall at bay. She took a deep breath and kept biting down as she began to walk away, trying to forget what Chuck had said. The truffles were tossed into the first garbage can she passed and she made her way home as quickly as possible.

*****

"Thank you so much, these are perfect...she's going to love them!" Serena gushed, as she signed and finished paying for the jewelry.

The man behind the counter smiled and handed her the small blue bag. "Well, she certainly is a lucky girl!"

Serena accepted the bag and smiled back at him, before replying. "I think I'm the lucky one! Thanks again!" Then, she headed to her family's apartment to hide the pieces of jewelry high up in her closet, where she was sure Blair would never find them.

*****

As Blair stepped off the elevator, she could hear Dorota working in the kitchen. Eleanor was out and Blair was thankful for the opportunity to run up to her room without distractions. Once she entered her room, she silently closed the door behind her, so as to keep her presence unknown to Dorota. She cast her shopping bag and purse onto the floor, not caring when random items scattered over the carpeting, and marched into her bathroom.

The door clicked shut; Blair turned on the shower and then threw herself to her knees in front of the toilet. She knew she shouldn't be here, in this position. It had been months since she had even thought of doing this to herself and many more since she had actually gone through with it. Blair was breathing heavily and tears blurred her vision, as she rested her fingertips against the seam of her lips. The feeling made her think of Serena, the way the blonde would gently touch her lips before kissing her. This thought caused more teardrops to make their way over her lashes, but Blair told herself to keep thinking of Serena, of her daughter, of anything but him. She tried, but his words kept resounding in her mind over and over. Her teeth gritted together as she fought the different images swirling in her head and the urge to shove her fingers down her throat.

When Serena walked into Blair's room, she could immediately tell something wasn't right. Blair's clothes weren't lying around anywhere, but she could hear the shower running in the bathroom and a million stunned thoughts flickered through her mind as the realization hit her.

"Blair! No!" Serena yelled, throwing open the bathroom door and seeing the brunette sobbing with her fingers poised against her lips.

Before Blair could even look up, Serena was kneeling on the floor behind her, pulling Blair against her body and pressing her hand to her wet cheek. Serena held her face to the side of Blair's as tears escaped her own eyes. Finding her girlfriend in this situation held too many bad memories and emotions for her.

"What happened, B? What's wrong?" Serena whispered, her voice breaking.

Dark curls bounced when Blair shook her head indicating that she couldn't answer. Serena could feel Blair's body trembling while she made little gasping sounds as she tried to catch her breath.

"Please, get up…" Serena quietly pleaded, pulling Blair up to get her out of the bathroom and to distract her from what she had been going to do. They both stood and Blair turned around just in time to see a tear dribble down the side of Serena's nose. Blair gave her a sad look before starting to sob again and burying her face in Serena's neck.

"I-I didn't…I didn't, I'm sorry!" Blair cried.

Serena sniffed and pet her hair lightly. "I know you didn't, it's alright, just come and talk to me." She told Blair, picking up her hand and leading her out of the bathroom. The two lay down on their sides on the bed and soon the story was spilling from Blair's trembling lips.

"I saw Chuck… he, he called me a whore out on the street and gestured that I looked fat!" Blair exclaimed, her voice still choked with tears. "H-How am I ever going to tell him!? He will nev-never believe me, he's awful!"

Serena's eyes were still wet with tears, but flashed with anger after hearing about Chuck's comment. As much as she wanted to be mad, she knew that right now she needed to take care of Blair. Reaching out, Serena traced Blair's jaw and gently wiped away some of the moisture there.

"I'm so sorry, I promise we'll figure something out…" Serena stated. "But, please, the next time you even feel like doing that to yourself, call me…I don't want you to go back to that."

Blair closed her eyes, feeling ashamed that she had nearly reverted to the habit that had ruled her life years before. She felt Serena move closer and soon her head was lying on Serena's chest. "I'm sorry, S...I was just upset, I…"

"Shh, I know, I just want you to be happy, I don't want to see you hurt yourself." Serena murmured into Blair's hair. The brunette let out a shaky breath and pressed her face closer to Serena, finally settling down, but completely unaware that Chuck was about to wreak havoc on her life.

**Don't forget to review...thanks!!!**


	10. There Will Be Blood

**Hey, everyone! Sorry it took so long for this update...I made this chapter extra long to make up for it! Anyway, on with the story!**

Chapter 10 – There Will Be Blood

Serena pushed her hair back as she abruptly lifted her head, trying to locate Blair's cell phone which was buzzing loudly nearby. She blinked her eyes and looked down at Blair, who was still asleep, but furrowing her brows trying to block out the noise. The glowing cell phone screen on the nightstand finally caught Serena's attention and she swung her arm out, effectively sweeping the nuisance onto the floor and ridding their senses of the obnoxious rattling.

"Mmm…" Blair moaned.

"Shh, go back to sleep…" Serena whispered to her and kissed her temple. It was still early in the morning and the sun had yet to rise, so Serena lay back down against Blair's back. She rested her hand on Blair's belly and caressed the soft skin, listening to the brunette's breathing, until suddenly her cell phone started blaring from across the room.

"What the hell!?" Serena mumbled under her breath, as she began stumbling across the room to locate her purse. Perfume bottles and other cosmetics clattered together while Serena's hands searched around on Blair's vanity. Once, she found her cell phone she quickly flipped it open to stop the upbeat music of her ringtone and then snapped it shut, before turning it on silence and roughly throwing it back into her bag.

"Serena, who was that?" Blair asked groggily, she was now fully awake and sitting up in the bed.

"I didn't recognize the number…it doesn't matter, let's go back to sleep." The blonde responded, rolling back onto the mattress and slipping her arm around Blair's waist.

"Okay…" Blair said, putting her head back down on the pillow and immediately closing her eyes.

Just as the girls were drifting off to sleep again, Blair's cell phone began to vibrate from its place on carpeting once more. They each listened to the muffled hum of the vibrations for a moment, before Serena sat up.

"Maybe we should check that…" She stated.

The brunette pushed herself onto her side and Serena heard her fingers land on the floor as she felt around for the cell phone. After she had found it, Blair tossed it onto the comforter next to her girlfriend.

"You check it…" Blair grumbled, flopping against her pillow.

By the time Serena had the cell phone in her hand, the call had been missed. "I don't know these numbers…" She stated, as she studied the number on the screen, and then suddenly the device buzzed back to life indicating that a text message had been received. Blair opened her eyes a bit and gave Serena a curious glance, only to receive an equally confused look from the blonde.

**1 New Message: Gossip Girl **

**S & B, we can't thank you enough for making yourselves available anywhere and everywhere! Now we can have you whenever we want…which as you know, is all the time! Thanks again, ladies! XOXO! **

**- Gossip Girl**

"You've got to be kidding me!" Blair practically shouted, as Serena finished reading the message to her. Within seconds, the blonde had already grabbed her laptop from her bag and was punching at the keyboard, trying to navigate toward the Gossip Girl website. When the home page opened, each of their jaws dropped. Two images, an individual picture of each of them with a caption consisting of their cell phone number filled the screen.

"Oh God!" Serena murmured, pushing her hands against her forehead.

"I should have known he would do something." Blair stated softly and then looked up to her girlfriend. "I don't want to deal with this, Serena, I shouldn't have to."

Serena reached out and ran her hand over Blair's smooth dark hair. "I know, B, I know…but we've been through a lot worse from Chuck and Gossip Girl…we can just delete the messages and after awhile people will get bored."

"I really hope you're right, because who's to say he will stop there. You know how Chuck works." Blair replied quietly.

Serena sighed deeply and nodded her head, the angles of her face softly illuminated by the light of the computer screen. Then she raised her hand in a gesture of defeat. "We just need to tell him soon and hopefully he will understand. I don't know what else to do, but we just have to ignore whatever he throws at us because it doesn't matter." Serena said as she laid her hand on Blair's belly. "She's what matters right now."

Blair placed her hand over Serena's and held onto her fingers. "I know…that's why I don't want to give into this...being pregnant has made me realize how stupid the rumors and gossip are, I have better things to worry about."

"I feel the same way, it's just not important anymore…" Serena whispered and then smiled when the baby thumped against her hand.

"I don't think she likes it either." Blair said, smiling at first and then wincing a little when she felt another kick.

"Oh, she has her mommy's temper, she's mad!" Serena laughed, feeling the harder kick against her hand as well.

"I guess so…it feels like she's doing somersaults, ugh…" Blair groaned and set her forehead on Serena's shoulder. "Keep rubbing your hand over her so she moves. It's making me feel sick."

Serena began to gently press her palm back and forth on the spot where the baby was kicking. "How is that?"

"She's not moving…" Blair sighed.

"Alright, well let me get this out of the way so you can lay back, she will probably settle down after a while." Serena replied, as she set the laptop on the floor and then adjusted the pillows for Blair.

The brunette just rolled her eyes jokingly. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one getting kicked in the ribs."

Serena laughed in agreement and picked up Blair's cell phone, silencing it as she had done to hers. Once the blonde shut the phone, Blair snatched it out of her grasp and pitched it across the room through the open closet door, smiling when she heard it smack against the wall.

"You'll never find that in there." Serena chided with a smirk.

"Good!" Blair exclaimed from where she was propped against her pillows. Serena just giggled as she moved further down the bed and rested her cheek on the side of Blair's belly. Pressing her mouth to Blair's skin she could feel the tiny bumps against her lips.

"Can you feel it?" Blair asked quietly, looking to her girlfriend.

"Mhmm…" Serena nodded while still smiling against Blair's stomach. After a few minutes Serena fell back to sleep curled up to Blair's side, as Blair ran her fingers through her hair.

Leave it to carefree Serena to not worry about Gossip Girl or Chuck at all, while she lied awake. The combination of her own swirling thoughts and her daughter having a dance party in her abdomen kept her staring at the ceiling. Every time she closed her eyes and felt as if she might fall back to sleep, the baby would move or some idea of how Chuck may be plotting to ruin her life would run through her mind. She pressed her hand along the curve of her protruding belly, willing the restless baby inside her to stop moving. _Come on, baby girl, I need to go back to sleep_, she thought to herself, thinking that if the baby stopped kicking she could probably rein in her wandering thoughts. Serena sighed contently in her sleep and the sound made Blair huff in exasperation as she tossed her head to the side, glancing at the clock. 4:56 and it didn't seem as if she would be sleeping anytime soon.

Three sleepless hours later, Blair was trudging tiredly down the stairs in her robe after quietly retrieving her cell phone from the closet. When she reached the living room she set her cell phone on the end table and took a deep breath. 'Delete the messages,' Serena's voice kept telling her, but the obsessive perfectionist side of Blair kept telling her that she needed to know what was in those messages. The brunette was eyeing the cell phone and practically seething by just imagining what her Upper East Side peers and frequent visitors of the Gossip Girl website were saying.

"Miss Blair?" Dorota's voice suddenly startled her back to reality, making her body jump.

"Oh, Dorota, you startled me!" Blair exclaimed.

"I apologize, Miss Blair, would you like for me to bring your breakfast?" The maid inquired, as she took in the exhausted look in Blair's eyes.

"Um…yes please, I'll take it in here…" Blair nodded, trying to gather her thoughts.

"Alright," Dorota responded, and then retreated towards the kitchen only to turn back to Blair after a few paces. "Miss Serena is still sleeping or should I bring tray for her as well?"

The brunette rubbed the pads of her fingers under her eye. "Yes, Serena is still sleeping, which is exactly what I should be doing," Blair mumbled under her breath, "but please bring something for her. I'm sure she will wake soon."

"Yes, Miss Blair." Dorota replied dutifully and finished making her way to the kitchen. Once Dorota was out of sight, Blair quickly snatched her cell phone off the table and flipped it open because if Serena deleted the messages before she could read them, she knew it would drive her mad.

**6 Missed Calls **

**31 New Messages **

**3 New Voicemail **

Blair was a bit shocked by the volume of text messages and calls, but she figured that when the entire city of New York had your number, anything was possible. Ignoring the missed calls and voicemail, she pressed a few buttons and prepared herself to open the first text message. She took a calming breath and hit the 'Ok' key with her thumb.

**1 New Message: Isabel Coates**

**B! I cnt believe U didnt tell us U were giving up the bby! I thought U and S were doing the whole 2 mommies thing and like having a big happy fmly!? **

**- I**

_I'm not giving up the baby, you bitch! What is she talking about!? _Blair could feel her pulse quickening, just as it always did when her reputation hung in the balance and countless souls were about to be socially destroyed. She definitely needed to read these messages.

**1 New Message: 723-4875 **

**Hey B! We've nvr met, but UR totally hot! I wish I coudlve gotten 2 U bfore U got preggers!**

**1 New Message: Penelope Shafai **

**U may have had a socially unforgivable fall from grace, but H and Is and I have decided 2 allow U 2 remain friends with us. Just watch urself. **

**- P**

**1 New Message: 577-2398 **

**I alwys knew yur pristine classiness was an act…yur such a slut!**

**1 New Message: 364-8648 **

**1****st**** we find out UR a dike and then we find out UR a sleaze! Queen B has fallen so hard!**

Blair was thoroughly angry now, but she wasn't ready to stop. Just then she heard Serena making her way down the stairs and she quickly opened one more message.

**1 New Message: 723-6403 **

**I hope u give up ur baby, that way u wont b able to screw up a kid as badly as ur mom screwed u up.**

The last text message hit a nerve and a little gasp escaped Blair's lips as she abruptly dropped her phone. Letting it fall to the floor as if it had burned her. Serena crossed the room to sit with her, concern written all over her face. Blair bit her trembling bottom lip between her teeth and tried to hold back the tears, she should have listened to her girlfriend.

"B?" Serena murmured as she set her hand on Blair's knee and then noticed Blair's cell phone lying open on the carpeting with a text message displayed. The words made Serena shake her head sadly as she looked at Blair, who was concentrating on staring out the window.

"Blair?" Serena repeated, putting her fingers to the brunette's jaw line so she could turn her head and pull her into a hug.

Blair kept her neck stiff and swiped her knuckle under her eye. "Don't, Serena, I'll just start crying and I don't want to cry over this…"

The taller girl just let her hand drop back to Blair's leg and studied her girlfriend's profile. Her chin was quivering from trying to hold herself together, but Serena could still see Blair's watery eyes shimmering with the light coming through the curtains. When Dorota walked into the room carrying the breakfast tray, the brunette took it as a welcome distraction, swiftly wiping her eyes and putting on a smile for her maid.

"Your breakfast, Miss Blair, and this envelope just arrive for you." Dorota stated, gesturing to a thick off-white envelope lying on the tray.

"Thank you, Dorota…that will be all." Blair announced, and then flipped over the envelope. Her face immediately fell when she read the name of the sender…Charles B. Bass.

"I won't open that, you can Serena, but I refuse!" Blair snapped, tossing the envelope onto the table.

Serena nodded and carefully picked up the envelope, then slipped her finger under the bold, cursive, capital B seal that held the flap down. She pulled the article out of the envelope and to her surprise; she was holding a card that read 'I apologize…' on the front. Blair's eyebrows knitted together as she studied the card in Serena's hands.

"I think you should read it…" Serena said quietly and handed the card to Blair.

She accepted it with shaky fingers, finding it hard to believe this was from Chuck. Blair, then slowly read the words 'I apologize…' again and opened the front cover. A pile of pamphlets and brochures from several adoption agencies and abortion clinics spilled into her lap, and her mouth fell open. The inside of the card read in black permanent marker, 'for not getting these to you sooner!'

Blair let out a frustrated noise, half scream, half sob, as she rapidly brushed the papers off her lap and leapt from the couch. Her face was already wet with tears by the time she made it to the stairwell and when she suddenly stopped and turned around, she was glad to have Serena practically run into her and wrap her up in her arms.

Serena was seeing red, and for once she honestly had no idea how to comfort her girlfriend. It was unfair and foolish to keep telling Blair that it would be okay and that everything would work out, when she kept getting hurt. So Serena did the only thing she could do, she sat Blair down on the steps and held her as she cried.

Tremors ran through the petite girl's body as she sobbed so hard she bordered on hyperventilating, and Serena couldn't help but think that in all the time they had known each other, she had never seen Blair cry like this. Even though Blair was strong, if given the chance people could crush her, but Serena knew this had to do with more than just that. It was about the powerful connection Blair had with the child she was carrying.

In all her life, Blair had never had anyone or anything that was solely her own. Her parents were tied to their careers and love lives, friends came and went, and most everything she did, she did for others' approval. The baby needed _her _though, depended on _her_, and Serena knew that Blair already loved her unborn daughter more than she had ever loved anyone. Blair had never considered aborting the baby or giving it up for adoption no matter how hard she knew it would be for her. In the beginning it had been difficult trying to fight her own demons and convince herself that she could raise a baby, and now her resolve was being tested.

"M-maybe everyone is right….I-I s-shouldn't do this!" Blair choked out.

"Blair, hush, you're just upset…" Serena told her sweetly, even though she was trying desperately to keep her anger under control.

"I don't know what to do anymore!" The brunette gasped.

"But I do…" Serena replied tersely and withdrew her arm from around Blair's back. She stomped back into the living room to retrieve the house phone, leaving a teary Blair on the steps staring after her. When she reemerged, her tall frame was rigid and she was already holding the phone against her ear much to Blair's dismay.

"May I speak to Chuck, please!?" Serena spat into the phone and assuming that she was asked who was calling by the staff member on the line, she quickly replied in an icy tone. "Tell him it's the tall, leggy, blonde from the bar, I'm sure he'll come running!"

Blair's sad eyes pleaded with her from the staircase to end the call, but she solemnly shook her head in disagreement. This had to be done.

"Chuck!? Blair and I need to talk to you, soon…like tonight!" Serena demanded, just waiting for his slimy excuse. The blonde took a few steps forward, and then her brows went together in annoyance.

"No! I don't care about any plans you have! You meet us in my apartment at eight o'clock or you can be sure that I'll search every Palace suite until I find you!" Serena yelled at the phone and then hit the 'End' key as soon as the last syllable fell from her lips.

Serena's hands fell to her side and she turned to Blair from where she was now standing on the black and white tiles. "We're meeting Chuck tonight…"

"So I heard…" Blair answered softly.

*****

After an extremely long day of nervous anticipation, Blair was now sitting on the couch in Serena's apartment. It was now 7:57 and Chuck would be coming up the elevator any minute, needless to say Blair was nearing a panic attack. When the ding of the elevator finally pierced the silence Blair's body jumped, but Serena gently rubbed the back of her hand reassuringly.

"I'll be right here with you…" Serena whispered and then touched her girlfriend's cheek, before rising to greet Chuck in the foyer.

She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and watched Chuck as he cockily strode into her apartment. "Chuck, happy to see you could make it." She stated with a curt nod and a sarcastic smile.

"I would never break a date…especially not with you, Serena…" Chuck drawled as he adjusted his lavender colored tie.

"Well, unfortunately for you this isn't a date…now, come on." Serena sneered, the once over Chuck gave her body not going unnoticed.

Once they entered the living room, Serena sat down next to Blair, and Chuck sat opposite of them in an arm chair. He stared poignantly at Blair for a few moments, waiting for her to break and look away, but when she did not he finally began speaking.

"Waldorf…it's always an extreme pleasure to see you." Chuck spoke smoothly.

"Chuck, please don't make this any harder for me than it already is." Blair said meaningfully, truly hoping that he could understand.

"Fine…" Chuck answered as he glanced nonchalantly at his Cartier watch. "Let's make this quick."

Blair took a deep breath and Serena gave her hand a squeeze, letting her know she was there for her. "Chuck, this baby is yours!" Blair suddenly blurted out, surprising herself as well as Serena and Chuck.

"What!?" Chuck hissed. He had been quite sure this was what she was going to tell him, but he wasn't going to let her know that and he still refused to believe her.

Serena could feel her anger rising already and she squeezed her girlfriend's hand a little tighter. "You heard what she said."

"Yes, I did, it sounded like she said she was a lying slut." Chuck yelled, rising from the chair.

"Why would I lie about this!?" Blair pleaded, sounding so unlike herself.

"It was one time! I know it was probably exciting for you, but I doubt I was the cause of this mess!" Chuck yelled even louder and stepped towards Blair, making Serena instantly rise from her position on the couch.

"Chuck, you need to listen to her! This is serious…it's not some stupid thing like Gossip Girl and your games!" Serena said venomously, as she stepped in front of her girlfriend. She was nearly the same height as Chuck and when it came to Blair's well being; he didn't scare her a bit.

"Oh it's definitely serious alright! All of this…you and her together, her having this baby…it's all a _serious_ _mistake_!" Chuck snarled. Before Serena could even stop herself, she pulled back and punched Chuck in the nose as hard as she possibly could.

"Serena!?" Blair yelped in surprise and then watched Chuck turn away and touch his nose, finding it oozing with blood.

"I'll give you one thing…you definitely don't hit like a girl." Chuck said lowly and then hastily made his way toward the elevator.

Serena glared at Chuck's back until he was out of sight and then turned to Blair grimacing in pain. "God, that hurt!"

Blair just nodded and a tear slipped down the side of her nose. She rested her forehead against her palms, feeling helpless. The blonde had been holding her injured hand, but she automatically let go to stroke Blair's back.

"I can't do this anymore…I'm so tired, Serena…" The brunette stated quietly and turned her glassy brown eyes to her girlfriend, seeking guidance.

"I know, baby, how about you just get in bed and try to rest. You told him what you needed to tell him and now you don't have to worry about it, even if he doesn't believe you." Serena exclaimed and then they made their way from the living room and up to her bedroom.

*****

Serena set a glass of water and a box of tissues on her night stand next to the spot where Blair was laying. Bending forward she pulled Blair into half a hug and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Are you going to be okay?" The blonde questioned.

"Yes…" Blair sniffled, "but would it be alright if I was alone for a while? I just need to think."

"That's fine, Blair, but try to rest, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, Serena…and I thought it was hot when you punched Chuck." Blair said and even smiled a bit when she did.

"I love you too, and I'm glad you thought so." Serena laughed and held up her slightly bruised knuckles, before leaving the room.

*****

After eventually crying herself to sleep, Blair was able to rest for a few hours until a stabbing pain tore through her lower back and stomach. She immediately sat up in bed, only to have the same pain repeated even stronger. She quickly noticed that Serena had never come to bed with her and she flung back the comforter in order to get out of the bed, but the sight of the blood on the sheets stopped her. Her shaky fingers touched her inner thigh and felt the slippery wetness of more blood; suddenly she was almost too dizzy to think straight.

"S…" Blair called, putting her hand under her stomach when she felt the sudden pain again. "Serena!"

A few seconds later Serena rushed through the door and was stunned by the image of a pale and trembling Blair looking dazed as she examined her bloody fingers.

"Oh my God…"

**I know you love that ending...haha! Thanks for reading! Reviews = Love!**


	11. Take Her Away

Chapter 11 – Take Her Away

The double doors of the Lenox Hill Hospital emergency room swung shut, and Blair and the EMS staff disappeared, leaving a helpless Serena standing in the lobby. The moments after Blair passed out and she had called 911, all seemed very surreal to Serena, like everything was happening too fast for it to be comprehended. Someone grasping her hand broke through her trance, and Serena turned to find her mother, Lily, standing by her side.

"Where is she? Is she alright?" Lily asked with concern. Lily had been at a fundraiser but as soon as Serena had managed to tell her what was happening over the phone, Lily had Serena's brother, Eric, on his cell phone calling for the car, before she had even hung up with Serena.

"They took her for an emergency ultrasound to make sure the baby is alright and I don't really know what else is happening, they didn't tell me, but they –" Serena babbled, until Lily gently interrupted her.

"Shh, slow down…have you called Eleanor yet?" Lily questioned as she put her hand to her daughter's cheek trying to calm her a little.

"No! I'm sorry, I didn't even think of it because she's in Paris, I thought it would be better to call you first!" The blonde exclaimed, feeling stupid for not even calling Blair's mother, when she had called her own.

"It's okay, you did the right thing, Serena. Now, I want you to go sit down…" Lily gestured to the empty waiting room. "I'm going to step outside and call Eleanor, it will only take a few moments."

"Okay…" Serena answered obediently. She was too busy being worried and scared about Blair to really make any decisions for herself anyway.

Once she sat down, she jammed her hands in her jacket pockets and crossed one knee over the other. Her foot was bobbing up and down rapidly as she tried to relieve some of her nervous energy. Blue eyes flitted back and forth between the main entry doors and the double doors they had taken Blair through, waiting for either her mother or Blair to reemerge, but knowing who she would see first.

Just as she thought, Lily reentered the hospital a few minutes later, tucking her cell phone into her Prada hand bag. Serena looked at her mother expectantly as she crossed the room and sat down next to her.

"What did she say?" Serena asked.

"She's worried, of course," Lily explained, "…but I told her not to leave Paris because we don't know what is happening yet. I told her I would call her as soon as we know."

"Alright…" Serena replied quietly.

After a while, a woman wearing dark green scrubs, and holding a clipboard and paperwork approached Serena.

"Could I have you fill out this information for Miss Waldorf while you wait?" The woman questioned and held the clipboard out to Serena.

"Um…sure, but-"

Lily, already annoyed with the fact that they hadn't been updated on Blair's condition, took control of the situation. "When are we going to find out what's going on? There obviously isn't anyone else here." Lily asked curtly and gestured to the empty hospital lobby.

"I really can't say, I just do the paperwork." The woman replied and then walked away.

Lily threw her hand in the air in exasperation as the nurse turned around and then just gave up, turning to look at the paperwork. Serena was attempting to fill in the blank lines on the paper, but she could hardly keep her shaky fingers still to write.

"Let me do it, sweetheart." Lily said softly as she took the papers from her daughter. She set the clipboard on her legs and then slipped her other hand into Serena's, before she finished filling out Blair's information.

"Mom?" Serena suddenly broke the silence in the room.

"Yes?"

"Does this happen sometimes? I mean…will they both be okay?" The younger blonde asked, referring to Blair and the baby, as she kept her gaze fixed on the waiting room carpeting.

"This sort of thing happens for different reasons. I suppose there's a chance that she could…" Lily paused, "that she could be losing the baby."

"Don't tell me that…" Serena answered darkly and turned her face away.

"Serena, I don't want anything to happen to Blair or the baby either, but I just want you to know…it…it may happen." Lily replied, trying to answer Serena's question honestly.

Serena turned back towards her mother and a single tear fell from her watery eyes, tracing over her cheek. "I'm so scared…" She whispered and her voice cracked with emotion.

Lily embraced her daughter and tenderly stroked her hair back. "I know, Serena, I'm sorry they're not making this any easier for you."

"Yeah…" Serena sniffled as she sat back in her chair, not really wanting to talk.

As if the hospital staff could sense that Lily was near demanding an explanation, suddenly a doctor came through the emergency room doors and strode towards them. His facial expression was emotionless and this served in unsettling Serena even more. Lily kept her supportive grip on Serena's hand, knowing she would need it if the doctor was about to tell her daughter something tragic.

"Miss van der Woodsen…" The doctor stated, holding out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Dr. Rossman, I performed Blair's ultrasound and ran her other tests."

"Yes, how is she? Is she alright?" Serena asked hopefully, as Lily waited expectantly for the answer.

"I'm glad to say that Blair and the baby are both fine, but she could have easily lost the baby…we need to go over a few things." Dr. Rossman told them, his expression still harboring something serious.

Serena's stomach flipped in excitement as soon as the word 'fine' had slipped from his mouth, but the rest of the sentence had thrown off her relief. "Alright…"

"Has Blair been undergoing a lot of stress lately?" He asked plainly.

"Um, yes…yes, she has…" Serena answered truthfully, feeling guilty even though the cause of the stress was not her fault.

"I figured she had been. Stress is actually a pretty common factor in the cause of pregnancy complications, but that doesn't make it any less serious." Dr. Rossman explained, "Luckily, she and the baby weren't harmed in any way, but she is at high risk for more complications, premature birth, and if she doesn't take care of herself properly…she could lose the child completely."

"She'll be taken care of…please, just tell us what we need to do." Serena asked. She wanted to hear the rest of the information, but she was also becoming extremely impatient; she needed to see Blair and her daughter for herself.

"Blair needs to be in a stress-free environment for the remainder of her pregnancy and she shouldn't be doing anything strenuous. For the last month of pregnancy she should really be on bed rest…actually she should try to rest as much as possible until the baby is born. If she does this, there's no reason why she shouldn't be able to carry the baby full term and have a healthy delivery." Dr. Rossman informed Serena and Lily.

"That doesn't sound too bad…I'm pretty sure Blair will love staying in bed all day, but I'll definitely make sure she does." Serena replied, even smiling to herself at the thought of Blair sitting in bed, ringing a little bell for Serena to fetch her anything she wanted. Whatever it took, Serena would be willing to do anything for Blair.

"Oh, I'm quite sure she will love that!" Lily smirked.

"Well then it sounds like everything will be fine." Dr. Rossman laughed and then picked up the clipboard and finished paperwork from earlier.

"Are we able to see her now?" Serena quizzed. She was about ready to run through the hospital until she found her girlfriend anyway.

"Yes, you can see her, but she is sleeping. We gave her a mild sedative because she did end up waking and she was a little confused, so she gave us a bit of a struggle. It will be…um, it will be good for her to rest anyway, and she'll wake up in a few hours." Dr. Rossman finished somewhat uncomfortably, before turning to guide them to Blair's room.

When he was facing away from them, Serena raised her eyebrows at her mother, in a what-did-she-do-to-him expression. Lily just shrugged and stifled a laugh, and then she and Serena followed him into the emergency room. Leave it to Blair Waldorf to whip the doctor with his stethoscope or perform some other form of torture while he tried to take care of her.

Once they reached the door of Blair's room, Serena thanked Dr. Rossman, and then he quietly let them in and closed the door behind them. When Serena took the few more steps into the room and finally saw Blair, she felt like a weight had been lifted. The last time Serena had saw her, her head was lolled to the side as she lay on the stretcher, now she was propped up and sleeping contently in her hospital bed. Blair's face was pale, but she looked just as peacefully beautiful as she did when she fell asleep after Serena made love to her or she simply dozed off with her head in Serena's lap as they watched a movie.

The blonde pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down, before gently taking Blair's hand in her own and resting it on the side of the bed. She used her other hand to rub the expanse of Blair's belly. The moment couldn't have been more perfect when the baby decided to give Serena's hand a single kick. Serena burst into sobs and set her forehead down, crying tears of relief onto Blair's hand as she kept her own over the baby.

*****

Hours later, a sleepy Lily was nodding off in one of the chairs, while Serena remained wide awake watching Blair sleep.

"Serena, you should rest too…" Lily advised.

"No, I want to be awake when she wakes up, so she's not frightened." Serena replied, even though she was tired from being awake for nearly a whole day, Blair was more important.

Lily nodded approvingly and gave her daughter a proud smile. "You are going to be such a good mother…you and Blair both will, I know it."

"Thank you…" Serena shyly responded, smiling at the compliment her mother had just given her.

Suddenly an idea crossed Lily's mind and it seemed like a good solution for Blair's stress-free environment for the rest of the pregnancy.

"Serena?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you and Blair stay in Ridgefield for the summer?" Lily quietly suggested. The van der Woodsen's owned several houses, one of which was located in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

The young blonde's face brightened as she let the idea sink into her head. "Really!? You wouldn't mind!?" Serena asked excitedly.

"Of course not, take Blair away…get her away from the city and the gossip for a while. You'll have the house to yourselves, you can relax, and when her due date gets closer you can come home and she'll have the baby." Lily explained.

"That would be perfect! Thank you so much, mom!" Serena gushed.

Lily gave her a motherly smile. "You're welcome, darling. I'll call and have your luggage packed, and I'll let Dorota know to pack Blair's as well…" Lily stated and then glanced at the clock. 3:37 AM. "You can leave later this afternoon after Blair is discharged."

"This is going to be amazing, Blair will love it!" Serena exclaimed. She couldn't wait to tell Blair that as soon as she was released from the hospital, she was whisking her away to Ridgefield. Away from everything that was making their lives hell in the city, which was mainly Chuck.

"Do you want the house staff there for you?" Lily questioned.

Serena didn't have to think twice. "No, we'll be fine…just make sure the landscaper is there to take care of the garden and the pool." Serena could cook and clean if she wanted to, but yard work was something else.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I already knew that…"

"Yeah, I figured…" Serena responded with a spoiled smile, "Oh! I'm going to text you a list of things we're going to need at the house, so you have it."

"Alright that's fine." Lily replied.

Serena punched buttons on her phone rapidly for a few minutes and then finally hit 'Send' and shut her phone. "Done."

"Okay, I'll have all of it sent to the house." Lily yawned while putting her head back against the chair and then closed her eyes.

Blair was still sleeping soundly and Serena carefully slipped her hand into her girlfriend's hand once more. Leaning forward, Serena rested the side of her face on Blair's hip and after only a few minutes her eyes had fluttered shut.

*****

Blair's eyelids felt heavy as she tried to open them and fight the sleepiness. She could feel a weight against her side, pressing into her stomach softly, and she leapt forward as she remembered what happened. The sudden movement jostled Serena and she quickly sat up, realizing Blair was awake and trying to sit up. Her brown eyes were flashing in bewilderment and darting around the room until the settled on Serena.

"Is she okay? Is she okay!?" Blair cried and her face crumpled with emotion.

"Shh, she's okay and so are you, everything is fine…" Serena said reassuringly as she gently held Blair's shoulders and laid her back down. Blair was still looking into Serena's eyes as if she wasn't convinced.

"The baby is okay, I promise." Serena told her again, and then she pulled Blair into a hug.

A few tears escaped the brunette's eyes, but having Serena's arms around her made her feel a little better. "I thought, I thought that I los-" Blair gasped, until Serena cut her off.

"I know, but everything is alright now…shh, don't cry…" Serena whispered and wiped away her girlfriend's tears.

Blair shook her head and stared up at Serena, looking dazed. Her eyes were bleary and bloodshot, and Serena could tell that she still needed to rest after going through so much.

"I want you to go back to sleep, so you can rest, okay?" Serena told her softly, brushing her hair back. "I love you…"

"Love you too…" Blair whispered quietly and then she closed her eyes, giving in to her exhaustion. Serena continued petting Blair's hair until the soft sound of her breathing became slow and even once more.

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I had to update quickly because I felt bad keeping everyone hanging! Thanks for reading!**


	12. What's In A Name?

**Ok, everyone! I feel super bad about taking so long to update, this is like the longest it has ever taken and I promise it won't be that long of a wait next time, not even close! Anyway, hope you like it...**

Chapter 12 – What's In A Name?

"I am not happy, Serena…" Blair stated blandly.

"Well, tell me what's wrong, Blair…" Serena smiled as she mocked her girlfriend's monotone comment.

Blair rapidly gestured to herself and the wheelchair she was sitting in, while the two waited for the car to pull up outside. "_This_ is all wrong! It's not like I have a broken leg or anything, and my hair…don't even get me started!"

"The nurse said you had to…I think it's like all part of the fun, so just sit back and enjoy the ride!" Serena laughed at her own stupid joke which garnered an eye roll from Blair. "As for the hair, well…may Manhattan forgive us both for our fashion faux pas." The blonde spoke solemnly as she pulled her hair into a messy bun atop her head.

"I won't forgive myself!" Blair spat animatedly as she swished her fingers through the ends of her own dark hair.

"The claws are coming back out…I can see my precious Blair is feeling better!" Serena exclaimed and then wrapped her hand around Blair's head and pinned it against her side as she stood next to her.

"Precious…yeah…" Blair snorted in disgust while her girlfriend smashed her face with her hand.

"Okay, there is the car, let's go!" Serena said cheerily.

"Yes, let's!" Blair huffed and then stood up and began walking towards the sliding glass doors, but not before stopping and making a triumphant face. "See! The wheelchair just didn't make sense!"

"Oh, Blair…" Serena shook her head in feigned exasperation.

*****

An hour and a half later, they had finally made it to the house in Ridgefield and Serena was dragging one of Blair's Louis Vuitton suitcases into the foyer with the help of the driver. The very pregnant brunette was already seated on the coffee-colored leather couch in the living room, giggling at Serena carrying bag after bag into the house.

"That's the last of it…" The driver announced.

"Thank God…and thank _you_ for all your help!" Serena exclaimed with one of her winning smiles.

"You're welcome, have a good day, Miss van der Woodsen." The driver nodded to her and then made his way toward the front door.

"You too, bye!" Serena shouted back to him as he closed the door, and then sighed in relief. She turned around to find Blair smiling sweetly as she rested her chin on her folded hands on the back of the couch.

"You, Miss Waldorf, have entirely too much luggage!" Serena stated as she pointed an accusatory finger at Blair and walked into the living room.

"I know, but I promise to let you relax now." Blair told her gently, and then patted the spot next to her on the couch.

The tall blonde ungracefully flopped onto the couch and rested her head in Blair's lap, even though it was becoming a difficult task when most of the baby bump was resting in her lap. "That's good to know, because while you were hopped up on sedatives and sleeping for twelve hours, I was most definitely awake."

"I know, baby…" Blair laughed and then her tone became more serious. "But thank you for being there for me."

"Where else would I be?" Serena asked softly, picking up her girlfriend's hand and weaving their fingers together.

"Oh, I don't know…" Blair said leaning down to press her lips against Serena's.

Blair tenderly brushed the pads of her fingers underneath Serena's left eye, taking in the dark bluish color which was a tell tale sign of their night at the hospital. Blair wasn't sure how she did it, but the gorgeous woman sprawled out before her still maintained her good mood even when she had been awake for nearly two days.

"I think it is nap time for S…" Blair whispered as she continued to touch Serena's face.

Serena scrunched up her nose. "Do I have to!?"

"No…but I think you want to." Blair responded with a laugh.

"How did you know!?" Serena asked in a playfully surprised voice.

The brunette ran her hand over her ever growing stomach and smiled down at her girlfriend. "Let me just say…this won't be the first baby I've taken care of!"

"You know you love me." Serena stated as she closed her eyes and stretched her arms over the end of the couch, grinning widely at Blair's very true comment. "It probably won't be the first time you're thrown up on either!"

"Ugh, well I was going to say that I do love you, but when you remind me of that, I'm not so sure!" Blair scoffed and jabbed Serena in the ribs.

"It was just once…" Serena answered, holding her index finger up guiltily.

"Yes, once as far as you remember…I have a few more vivid memories." Blair replied in a sarcastically sweet voice and then couldn't help but laugh at the images of herself trying to hold a drunken Serena's head over the toilet, while she flailed around Blair's bathroom.

"At least you have good practice!" Serena shrugged and pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, squirming and giggling until she adjusted it over her body.

"Something tells me that taking care of an infant will be easier than trying to wrestle an inebriated blonde giant, but…" Blair interrupted her own sentence to press her hand over Serena's mouth when it opened to object. "Yes, at least I have practice and now you need to go to sleep…because you're getting a little punchy."

"Alright…fine…" The blonde agreed with a yawn, and then pulled her blanket over her face, falling asleep moments later.

*****

Later that evening, Serena awoke to the darkening of the living room as the sun set behind the trees. The soft sound of Blair's even breathing above her, revealed that the brunette had also fallen asleep sometime within the past few hours. Sitting up and turning around slowly, Serena quietly eased herself into a kneeling position facing Blair's sleeping form.

Blair's face was angled away from Serena and the book of baby names was lying open on her belly, pinned beneath her hand. After pushing a curl behind Blair's ear, Serena placed a kiss against the smooth skin and began whispering softly.

"Blair…" Serena's lips hummed against her ear. "Wake up, baby…"

Blair drew in a slow, deep breath as she opened her eyes, smiled at Serena and then stretched her arms up, pulling the blonde into a hug. Serena gladly accepted, wrapping her arms around Blair and holding her close.

"How are you feeling, right now, B?" Serena questioned, as she traced abstract patterns along the back of her girlfriend's neck soothingly.

"I feel okay…" Blair replied absently, still trying to wake up.

"Just 'okay'? Are you sure you're alright?" Serena asked again, this time pulling Blair back to inspect her face, sounding a little nervous.

Blair looked up, only to find herself giggling at Serena's creased brow and the serious look in her eyes. "Hey, come here…" The brunette requested as she placed her hands on either side of Serena's face, closing the gap between their lips.

Soon, the soft press of Blair's mouth and the slight brush of her tongue against Serena's, had the taller girl's tension melting away. Sensing her girlfriend's relaxation, Blair sucked Serena's bottom lip into her mouth and slowly began pulling away as she did so. When the kiss was broken and the blonde finally opened her eyes, Blair was already smiling back at her.

"I'm fine, Serena, I promise…" Blair stated reassuringly.

"After that kiss, I am completely convinced that you're fine." Serena whispered.

"Good, I'm glad. Now…did you have a nice nap?" Blair asked.

"Yes, I did…" Serena replied, kissing Blair's lips once more before she pulled her around to sit across her lap. Taking the name book from beneath Blair's hand, Serena let the pages fall open to a random section. "Find any worthy names for our baby girl?"

The brunette sighed deeply, before chuckling lightly and letting her forehead fall against Serena's temple. "Well, let me just say, it's going to be harder than I thought."

"Hard!?" Serena scoffed, as her eyes flickered over the lists of names. "Come on, you know you want to name her Audrey!"

"Ugh, S, no I do not…" Blair spat, lifting her head up and pinching the bridge of her nose. "…and you know trying to choose the perfect name is going to drive me insane!"

Suddenly, Blair didn't seem to be in such a good mood anymore and Serena looked on guiltily while Blair kept her eyes downcast, as if she were about to cry.

"Blair, I was only joking…" Serena said quietly, and then set her hand over Blair's, where it was resting on her stomach.

The brunette nodded slightly, before answering in a soft whisper. "I know…I just keep thinking about last night, and what if –"

"No…" Serena cut her off simply and gently took her chin in her hand, forcing Blair's gaze upwards. "You're supposed to be relaxing, not stressing yourself out by continuing to think of what could happen."

"It just feels like trying not to stress makes me think about everything that happened, and then I stress out even more!" Blair answered exasperatedly.

"Well…you know what that means don't you?" Serena asked, while she stroked Blair's jaw with her thumb. Brown eyes just glared back at her stubbornly, waiting for her to give the answer to her question. "It means we're going to have to find lots of awesome ways to keep you busy…come on, I already know the first one!" The blonde said excitedly, while urging Blair to stand up.

"What are we doing?" Blair whined, as Serena grabbed the name book in one hand and Blair's fingers in the other, guiding her out of the living room.

"We're relaxing you…" Serena responded, continuing to tug on Blair's hand as they walked into their master bedroom, towards the en-suite bathroom.

Once, they were inside the impeccably decorated bathroom, Serena set the book on the edge of the tub and began drawing a bath for Blair. After tossing some bath salts into the steaming water, the blonde turned back to her girlfriend who was standing against the counter smiling at her.

"I love you so much, Serena…" Blair whispered, as Serena enveloped her in a hug.

"I love you so much too, B…" Serena whispered back and then placed a kiss to her forehead. "Now, go ahead and get undressed, I just have to get one more thing."

After a few minutes, Serena reemerged holding a box of chocolate covered strawberries from Godiva. Blair, who was now sitting on the edge of the tub waiting for it to fill, gave the blonde an appreciative smirk.

"I know you didn't get that chocolate you were after a couple of days ago, so I had a few boxes brought to the house for us." Serena stated, as she set the box on top of the book and then began pulling her t-shirt over her head.

"Thank you…" Blair replied, reaching out and lightly brushing her finger nails over the skin of Serena's toned stomach. "So, exactly how many boxes of chocolate is a few, S?" The brunette asked with a knowing smile, while Serena worked on unbuttoning her jeans.

"Um…just like…twenty…" The blonde answered and watched Blair's eyebrow arch up.

"Just?" Blair giggled. She had spotted some of 'the few necessities' – as Serena and Lily had called them while demanding that they be sent to the house – upon their arrival and couldn't help but laugh. It seemed that her Queen B status had been officiated.

"Well, we…we just want to spoil you and keep you happy!" Serena said with a goofy smile.

"And fat?" Blair countered jokingly, an expectant look on her face.

Serena put her index finger up to her lips and then shook her head. "Nope, just happy, we already knew you were going to get fat!"

"Ugh!" Blair huffed, shaking her head, and then splashed a handful of bubbly water at Serena.

"That was positively improper of you!" Serena teased, using the Eleanor tone that they both knew too well. The brunette just smirked and rolled her eyes dramatically. "You know, B…we're going to have to stop making fun of her, because she's been surprisingly understanding with everything…"

"I know…I still can't believe she's actually coming here when she gets back from France!" The brunette laughed, before standing to take Serena's hand as she stepped into the bathtub slowly.

Serena stepped in also and slid down behind Blair before answering her comment in a quiet voice. "She's worried about you, Blair, she's your mom…she was going to fly back that night to be with you."

"I'm not used to all this attention from her." Blair responded, her tone sounding as equally serious.

"I understand that…" The tall blonde answered simply, and then wrapped her arms and legs around Blair. "What I don't understand is how you manage to get so much attention from everyone else!"

The smaller girl in Serena's arms laughed and squirmed against her tight grasp, as she placed quick kisses along her neck and shoulders. "S, stop…come on!" Blair giggled, while Serena's lips continued to tickle her skin.

"You're right…I better stop…you can't have…too much attention!" Serena spoke, punctuating her sentence with noisy kisses.

Blair let her head fall onto Serena's shoulder, her cheek resting against her neck. "I could never have enough…" She exclaimed, raising her arms in a gesture of gloriousness.

"Yes, Queen B!" Serena waved her arms downward, as if she were bowing. Blair caught them with her hands and rewrapped them around her stomach.

"Oh, S, I already told you, you don't have to do that when we are alone." The brunette scolded, as she continued to hold Serena's arms.

"You're so horrible!" Serena laughed, shaking her head and making her blonde waves toss.

"I know…" Blair shrugged innocently, and then slid further down into the bathtub, wetting her hair and then slicking it back with her hands. As she sat up again, Serena's fingertips wove themselves into the dark strands and lightly pulled through them.

"Let me do that for you…" Serena requested, while reaching a hand out for the Frederic Fekkai shampoo setting on the edge of the tub. After pouring some on her palm, Serena began to massage the shampoo into Blair's wet hair.

"So, what do you think about the name Aidra?" The brunette asked, after opening the book and scanning the first few pages.

Serena wrinkled her nose, contemplating her answer. "It's alright."

Blair just laughed as she finished chewing a piece of strawberry and then held it over her shoulder, giving Serena the last bite. "That's a no!"

"How could you tell?"

"You're not that hard to read, S, besides I don't like it that well either…" Blair sighed, as Serena continued to run her fingernails along her scalp. "It was just the first one to catch my eye."

"Well, I know it takes a lot to catch Blair Waldorf's eye…" Serena said with a smile.

"Very true, but I won't be catching anything if you keep that up…I'm about to fall asleep." Blair said slowly, referring to the way Serena was using her thumbs to push up and down the back of her neck.

Serena just laughed, untangled her fingers from Blair's hair, rinsed the soap from them, and dried them on the towel next to her, before taking the book out of her girlfriend's hand. "Okay, you can rinse it out now…"

Tipping her head back, Blair finished washing the shampoo from her dark locks and then leaned back against Serena, resting her head on her chest. "You find one, S…" She requested.

"Alright…um…hang on." Serena turned to the next page. "How about…Avani?"

"Avani, rhymes with Armani…no."

"Fine."

Blair heard the pages rustling for a few more minutes, before Serena finally suggested another name. "What do you think of Caesara?"

"Are you kidding!? Serena, this isn't about naming salad dressing!" Blair replied sarcastically.

"Geez, just a suggestion, B!" The blonde laughed.

"Well, it was a bad one. Just read some off…I'll tell you if I like any." Blair said, biting into another chocolate covered strawberry.

Serena raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes at the woman lying on her, before delving back into the various lists of names. "Ok, Carabella…Daveigh…Diora. Oh, here's a good one, Eleanor!"

"Shut it, S!" Blair giggled and nudged Serena's knee. "What was that first one you said, again?"

"Carabella?" Serena restated the name.

"Yes, what does that one mean?"

Serena flipped back a few pages to where the name was located and read off the definition. "It's of Italian origin and it means 'pretty face.'"

"Pretty face, huh? Let's mark the page on that one, I like it. What do you think?" The brunette asked.

"I like it too. Plus, I'm sure the meaning will fit." Serena answered slyly.

"Pssh, you better hope, because with Bass blood, I'm not really sure what we're in for." Blair spat. Serena's comment having the reverse affect of the one she had wanted.

"It's going to be fine, Blair, she's going to be gorgeous and you know it." Serena said, entwining Blair's hand with her own and giving it a squeeze.

"Just read some more." Blair answered back, trying not to smile.

"We made it all the way through the E's, that's enough for now." Serena whispered in Blair's ear, finally making her grin, as she dropped the book on the floor beside her.

**Thanks for reading! If you guys have any name suggestions, let me know! : )**


	13. From Paris With Love

**Ok, so I feel like such a bad author for taking forever with these updates, but luckily my finals are finished after this week and then I'm on summer break! That hopefully means tons of free time and updates! This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it's sort of just a filler chapter for the next few! I won't bore you any longer, enjoy the chapter! ;)**

Chapter 13 – From Paris With Love

2:36 AM. The second hand ticked away in front of the expensive, mother-of-pearl face of Eleanor's watch, as she checked the time once again. The eight hours of flight from Paris to New York City had never felt as long as they did this morning. Maybe it was because normally she was caught up in things like look books, color swatches, and fabrics, but this time she had told Laurel to put all of it away.

At the moment, she was feeling contrite and thinking of Blair. Thinking of how in all the times she had flown back from Europe after a business meeting, she could not remember a single time when wanting to be home was because of her daughter. There had been times when the highlight upon arriving home was the appointment scheduled at the spa or the bottle of Valium on her bureau…but not anymore. Lily's phone call had gotten her attention in more ways than one. The fact that she was holding conferences in France while Blair was nearly seven months pregnant and in New York City, just seemed ridiculous now.

Eleanor rifled through her handbag, until she came across her cell phone and dialed the numbers to her penthouse in the city. "Dorota?"

"Yes, Mrs. Waldorf, so good to hear from you." The Polish maid answered in her heavy accent.

"Thank you, Dorota…I was just calling to confirm the car for Ridgefield."

Dorota smiled at hearing Eleanor's comment, pleased to know that the older Waldorf intended to keep her plans on visiting the younger. "Yes, the car to visit Miss Blair and Miss Serena already waiting for you."

"Good…and um, has Blair called recently?" Eleanor asked, inwardly scolding herself on feeling foolish for asking about her own daughter.

"She call earlier and wonder why you are coming…" Dorota answered honestly. She hoped that Eleanor could understand why Blair would ask such a question.

"Oh, of course…" Eleanor said softly, before letting the line go quiet. She wasn't surprised by Dorota's response, but she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed for causing Blair to believe that there wouldn't be a reason for her own mother to see her, especially now of all times.

"Mrs. Waldorf?" Dorota broke through the silence.

"Yes, Dorota?"

"Maybe you call Miss Blair a little later, and talk to her for awhile…" Dorota suggested timidly.

"Perhaps, I will. Thank you, Dorota…I'll see you in a few hours." Eleanor answered with an edge of uncertainty in her voice, before hanging up her cell phone and letting her thoughts trail off, eventually thinking up a seemingly perfect idea.

*****

Serena blinked to focus her vision in the morning light, before her eyes settled on one of her favorite images. Blair's face lying a few inches away from her own, as she slept soundly against the navy and white striped pillows. Fortunately, the baby had decided to go easy on the brunette during the night so she was actually able to rest.

"You're too beautiful…" Serena whispered to Blair's sleeping form, as she leaned over and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.

As carefully and quietly as she could, Serena climbed out of the bed, making sure not to disturb her girlfriend. She grabbed her robe from where it was hanging over one of the bedposts, and then exited the room, silently pulling the door closed behind her.

While making her way to the spacious living room, Serena marveled at how quiet and relaxed a house could be without maids, parents, and siblings buzzing about, but that moment was ultimately and coincidentally ruined by the phone ringing. The tall blonde fumbled around one of the end tables, trying to pick up the device quickly, before it had the chance to wake up Blair.

"Hello?" Serena said into the phone. She was quite sure she knew who would be on the other end, considering that only a few people knew about her and Blair's little get away.

"Serena?" Lily's voice could be heard, just as she thought.

"Hey, mom, what's up?

"I just wanted to check on you two…how is Blair? Do you have everything you need at the house?" Lily asked, throwing a bit too many words at Serena, who was still a little groggy from sleep.

"Blair's still sleeping…and, um…everything else is perfect…" Serena trailed off and yawned into her hand, thinking of how she should have stayed snuggled up to a certain brunette.

Lily smirked and raised her eyebrows to herself, mistaking Serena's statement for something else. "Well, spare me the details of that perfection..."

"Ugh, mom! That's not even what I meant…she's not even supposed to be doing that!" Serena announced, rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm.

"Oh, really? Well, I'm not listening anymore, Serena…all I know is that you better be letting that poor girl rest." Lily laughed.

"Of course, I am…geez, mom!" The blonde exclaimed with a tired smile, which grew brighter when she saw Blair rounding the corner from the hallway, looking adorable as she squinted from the harsh sunlight. Serena blew her two kisses, and the brunette smiled as she walked over to Serena and sat against the couch, between her legs.

Lily started going on about some ridiculous article she had read in a magazine on how pregnant women shouldn't use chlorinated pools, so maybe it wasn't a good idea for Blair to go swimming, but Serena was completely tuning her out. She had set the phone against her chest and now was too busy with the woman sitting on the floor, to listen to her mother's informative babbling.

"Why two kisses?" Blair whispered up to Serena, so Lily wouldn't hear, as she tipped her head back to look up at the blonde's face.

Serena leaned down and placed a kiss on Blair's full lips, before quietly replying. "One for you and one for baby…"

The kisses against Blair's lips began moving across her cheek and down her neck, causing Serena to distract herself even more, making the phone fall away from where it was muffling Lily's voice against her robe. The brunette was giggling at the tickling sensation of Serena's light nibbles and kisses.

"Serena? Serena!?"

The dull sound of her mother calling her name into the phone startled Serena back to reality, and she immediately sat up, bringing the phone to her ear again. "Sorry, mom, I dropped the phone."

"Blair is awake isn't she?" Lily asked simply.

"Yeah…but how did you know that?" Serena questioned slowly.

Lily smiled into the phone that was pinned between her shoulder and neck, as she flipped through random pages of the newspaper sitting in front of her. "I'm your mother, I just know these things…_and_ I can hear giggling and kissing."

"Oh, um…" The blonde's cheeks flushed a little, and Blair just laughed at her stammered answer and rested her head on the inside of Serena's thigh.

"I thought Blair wasn't supposed to be doing that…" Lily trailed off thoughtfully, drawing out her daughter's obvious embarrassment.

"Kissing isn't sex, mom!" Serena blurted out suddenly without thinking, making Blair release a fit of laughter and Serena blush an even darker shade of crimson.

Lily was laughing right along with Blair, despite their opposite locations. "I think I knew that…"

"Um, I…ugh, I think I just decided it was much better when you were never around!" Serena stated jokingly, recapturing her playful wit.

"Well, I love you too, Serena!"

Chuckles were exchanged over the line for a few seconds, until a beeping sound on Serena's end signaled an incoming call.

"Hey, mom, I have another call…I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Of course, I'll talk to you soon!" Lily exclaimed.

Serena rolled her eyes a bit. "Sure, mom, bye!"

The blonde clicked a button on the phone, disconnecting Lily and answering the other caller. "Hello?"

"Serena, it's Eleanor…" Blair's mother's voice echoed somewhat distantly through the receiver, due to her still being on the plane returning from Paris.

"Eleanor! How are you?" Serena chirped, as she twisted and twirled strands of her girlfriend's long dark hair through her fingers, not failing to notice how Blair straightened up at hearing her mother's name.

"This flight is exhausting, dear, but I should be asking how you, Blair, and my precious little granddaughter are doing." Eleanor stated.

Hearing Eleanor say something so endearing and unlike herself, made Serena grin. "Well, why don't I let Blair tell you!?"

Suddenly, the phone was being pushed into Blair's hands, and Serena was wrapping her arms around her neck and setting her chin atop unruly brown curls.

"Hi, mom…" Blair spoke tentatively, a small smile tugging at her lips in response to talking with her mother and the weight of Serena's arms on her shoulders.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Eleanor asked.

"I'm okay, and the baby is too…" Blair answered quietly, and then slid her hand over different areas of her stomach, until she found the spot she was looking for. "She's kicking right now."

Even though Blair and Serena couldn't tell, Eleanor was smiling widely as she held her phone. If there was ever a time she was proud of Blair, surprisingly, it was now more than ever.

"That's wonderful, I can't wait to see you this afternoon!" Blair's mother explained in genuine excitement.

"Me either," Blair said in a happy tone. "Dorota is coming with you, right?"

"Yes, she is, I'm quite sure she misses you already."

The young brunette laughed a little, thinking about Dorota, her ever faithful and original sidekick.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in a few hours."

"Yes, we'll be there…" Eleanor answered. "I love you, Blair"

"I love you too, mom."

**Thanks for reading, hope you liked it!**


	14. Olive You

Chapter 14 – Olive You

"Blair, I just can't get over how absolutely adorable you look!" Eleanor exclaimed, as she sat next to Blair on the couch, keeping her hand pressed to her daughter's rounded abdomen.

"Really?" Blair asked with a wide grin. Her mother and Dorota had been fawning over her since they arrived at the Ridgefield house. Lavishing her with tons of expensive baby gifts from Paris and stroking her belly incessantly. To say the least, Blair was thoroughly pleased with all of her mother's affections towards her.

Eleanor patted Blair's stomach lightly, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Of course you are! Don't be ridiculous!"

The young brunette shrugged her shoulders in agreement, smiling brightly at Serena, who was sitting in one of the dark leather arm charms across the room after having been demoted from her position on the couch. Dorota had taken her place when she had gone to fetch ice water for Blair, and now she was left to watch her Queen with her admirers.

"Yes, Miss Blair, positively glowing!" Dorota chimed in after Eleanor, picking up Blair's hand and holding it in her own.

Blair giggled at Dorota's clichéd comment, bowing her head to hide her smile. "Fine, fine, you've convinced me!"

"Oh, she's kicking!" Eleanor suddenly announced in an excited tone, and Blair's time of basking in her adorableness was quickly interrupted. "That is just _too_ precious!"

As Eleanor readjusted her hand to find the baby's restless feet, Blair couldn't help but make contact with Serena's just as confused eyes. Both of them were thinking the same thing; never had they ever heard such fluffy adjectives spill from Eleanor Waldorf's mouth, and in such rapid succession.

Soon, both Dorota and Eleanor were rubbing their hands over Blair's stomach, predicting the spot where the next tiny bump would be, and Serena was sure that if they kept it up that they would be able to see their futures reflecting in the designer maternity shirt Blair was wearing.

The pregnant brunette was beginning to look a bit bewildered, and not to say that Serena was the jealous type, but she may having been seeing a twinge of green from missing out on all the little kicks.

"Alright, that's enough! This isn't a petting zoo!" Serena exclaimed in an overly sweet voice, disrupting the two older women's moment of fortune telling. "Come on, Dorota…you can help me get lunch together."

Dorota followed Serena's lead, rising from her seat, and giving the blonde a disdainful glare, which also mirrored Eleanor's face. But Serena was too busy watching Blair mouth 'thank you' in a very appreciative manner, to even notice.

After the two other women exited the room, Blair and her mother were left alone in a somewhat uncomfortable period of silence. Blair was much too inquisitive to not know which questions her mother would inevitably and undoubtedly ask her, so she steeled herself against the emotions that accompanied them.

Eleanor's hand came to rest over Blair's, where it laid motionless on the edge of the dark leather couch, and her fingers twitched slightly at the sudden contact. Turning her head to look at her mother, she could already see the questioning in the older brunette's eyes.

"You told Chuck he is the father?" Eleanor asked timidly, her gaze faltering to the floor, not quite knowing how to approach the situation.

Blair's breath was audible as she inhaled deeply through her nose, before steadily exhaling from her mouth. "I told him…but he didn't believe me. He most likely never will."

Eleanor nodded in quiet understanding, waiting a few seconds before deciding to speak again. "There are things we could do to prove it to –"

"I'd rather not talk about this right now." Blair interrupted calmly. She knew her mother wasn't trying to upset her in any way, but at this point, Chuck's stinging words of adamant denial were much too fresh in her mind to want to prove anything to him.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just want you to be aware." Eleanor replied, giving her daughter's fingers a gentle squeeze.

"I am aware…Chuck is the only one who isn't." Blair began to explain, her voice sounding uncharacteristically soft and faint. "It only happened once, I wasn't with anyone else…not even Nate."

Blair had never really delved this far into her person life with her mother, and not knowing what else to say, Eleanor grasped Blair's hand between her own and soothingly brushed the back of her daughter's palm. Since she couldn't find the correct or appropriate answers for Blair, she thought it best to let this conversation slip past them.

Blair let her fingers close around her mother's, in acceptance of the silent gesture of sympathy. Even if they couldn't always comprehend one another's actions, they could always bond over their understanding of life's stressful hardships.

*****

"So, Miss Serena…you are taking good care of Miss Blair and the baby?" Dorota slyly questioned, as Serena moved about the kitchen.

Looking past the cupboard door her face was currently behind, Serena stared at the maid, disbelieving. "Of course, I am! I always take good care of Blair."

Dorota tipped her head, answering to the truth in Serena's statement, but then looked back at the blonde purposefully. "You do…but you two always scheming and making trouble together and I am not here to watch you."

"You mean you're not here to help us!" Serena shot back with a giggle.

Apparently, Dorota did not find the comment very comical, for she only glared back at Serena with stern contempt.

Serena just continued to laugh, as she resumed searching for objects on the shelf before her. "I'm just saying, Dorota…Blair and I, we're way past all of that Gossip Girl drama."

The sentence that followed was a string of Polish that the blonde couldn't understand, but nevertheless, it made her laugh even more.

*****

"I thought of something you might like during my flight." Eleanor finally said, after the quietness of the room became unnerving.

Finely arched brows creased together, and Blair turned to her mother with a confused smile. "Shouldn't you have been reviewing designs?"

Using her free hand, Eleanor made a swirl in the air in a motion of dismissal, as an odd look came over her face, and then transformed into a smile. "Never mind designs…I was thinking that we should have a baby shower for you."

"Oh…" Blair dimly acknowledged her, although it was evident from her expression that she was searching for an excuse. "That may not be the best idea."

"Well, why not!?" Eleanor asked in surprise. Usually, any type of party…well at least any type of expertly planned and properly hosted party, seemed like a good idea to Blair.

"Because of Chuck and Gossip Girl, and –"

"And they have nothing to do with it." Eleanor finished with a light smile, pinning the brunette with honesty.

"Who would come?" Blair quizzed, and Eleanor's smile widened as her daughter showed a small flicker of interest.

"We could just have an intimate gathering, family and close friends."

Blair's lips pursed in annoyance. "I don't have many _friends_ these days, mother."

Eleanor gave her daughter a poignant look. "Then just family."

The two were just as stubborn as one another, but Blair could see that her mother wasn't going to let her win this battle, for whatever unknown reason. "I suppose…Serena would probably like that."

"Good, it's settled then. I'll be sure to run all the details by you for your approval." Eleanor stated in mock seriousness, even though each of them knew it was the humorous truth.

*****

Serena had stolen back her spot next to Blair after they had finished eating lunch, and now she and Dorota were bouncing smug smirks and icy stares off one another, as Serena idly smoothed her hand over Blair's belly.

"So, a baby shower…sounds like a fun idea to me." Serena announced, and Blair threw her hands in the air. She always knew what Serena would like.

"Yes, it's going to be wonderful." Eleanor exclaimed, reaching her hand out to stroke Blair's stomach some more.

"I have to pee!"

Serena turned to look at Blair strangely for her rather loud declaration, but before she could say a thing, her girlfriend was tugging her from the couch by her hand.

The brunette marched them into the bathroom, and leaned back against the door after she had closed it, as if she was secretly hiding from someone on the other side. Which in actuality, she was.

"Oh my God, S, you have to make them leave!" Blair whispered frantically, suddenly grabbing Serena's shoulders with complete desperation showing in her brown eyes.

"Why, what's wrong? I thought you had to use the bathroom?"

"No! I had to escape!" Blair explained animatedly, and then stopped for a moment. "I'm sure I'll have to pee in like five minutes, but that's beside the point! Serena, if they rub my stomach one more time, I'm going to…I'm going to unleash a _hurricane_ of hormones in that living room!"

Serena's eyes opened further and she moved back a bit, as Blair moved closer and closer to her face.

"Okay, okay, calm down, B!" The blonde chuckled, and then wrapped Blair in a hug to slow down her rapid flow of speech. "We'll just tell them that you're tired and that you need to rest now."

"Anything, Serena, just please, please get them out…I've had enough _bonding_ time!" Blair spoke exaggeratedly into Serena's long tresses, standing perfectly still with her hands at her sides, as if her afternoon spent with her mother and Dorota had put her into shock.

*****

It had taken nearly two hours to finally convince Eleanor that it would probably be best for her and Dorota to make their way back to the city. Another twenty minutes and another long session of belly rubbing, much to Blair's dismay, before Serena was practically pushing them into the limo and slamming the door shut.

Now, the two girls were snuggled up on the couch watching movies and enjoying more alone time, which after the day they had endured, was much needed.

"I understand she's trying to be all caring and supportive of me…but she's likely to kill me if she thinks she can do it all in one afternoon!" Blair ranted, and Serena couldn't help but agree.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to get used to it." Serena sighed, trying not to laugh at the way Blair stared at her, before letting her head fall dramatically over the arm of the couch. "It isn't that bad, now come here and watch your movie."

While they continued watching old films, Serena got a small taste of the effects of Blair's pregnancy. One moment Blair was hysterically laughing until she could hardly breathe, then she was restlessly staring at the ceiling, insisting that movies which she used to love, were "the most boring movies she had ever seen in her life."

The brunette had eventually exhausted herself, and was now zonked out, her head lolling to the side as she slept on the couch. Serena watched her with a smile, in near amazement, wondering what had happened to the perfectly composed Blair Waldorf she used to know. Serena wasn't certain, but she was just thankful that her girlfriend had fallen asleep before the famous _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ rain scene, because if she hadn't, Blair would have surely drowned them both.

*****

"S?" Blair whispered into the darkness of their bedroom, waiting for the blonde to hear her. "S?"

After finally convincing Blair that they should go to sleep in their bed, and not in the living room, Serena had quickly joined her girlfriend in sleeping off the day's events.

"Serena!?"

"Oh my God, what!? What's wrong!?" Serena wailed, after waking up to Blair shouting her name. She couldn't see anything in the pitch black area, but she had already jumped up from the mattress when she suddenly realized that a certain someone had gone silent. "Blair? Blair, what's wrong? Talk to me!"

"What are you doing, Serena?" Blair's serious voice asked her, sounding as if she hadn't just yelled Serena's name in the middle of the night, and as if the blonde shouldn't be worried in the least.

Seconds later, Serena switched on the lamp setting on the night stand next to her and turned to Blair, who was still lying in bed contently. "What do you mean, what am _I _doing? What are _you_ doing?"

"Oh, I was just wondering if there are any olives in the refrigerator." Blair stated nonchalantly. Either she was playing coy to the fact that she had nearly given Serena a heart attack or she just really wanted olives. The blonde would soon find that is was definitely the olives.

"Are you serious?" Serena asked with a completely straight face, hoping that her girlfriend could stave off her cravings.

Blair stared at her for a moment, taking in her mussed blonde hair and the grogginess in her eyes. "Yes…"

Serena blinked, and then shook her head. "Well then, let me go check and see for you."

"Thank you, S!"

"Oh, you're welcome, B!"

Serena lazily made her way into the kitchen, before throwing open the door of the refrigerator. There were tons of little jars that could have closely resembled that of olives, but after looking at each of them, it was painfully apparent that there were not any olives in the house.

"Blair, there aren't any olives in there…we can get some tomorrow." Serena spoke loudly as she walked back to the bedroom, her voice lowering to a normal volume as she came to stand in the doorway.

"Can't you call someone?" The brunette hit her with another question, as she made a disgusted face.

"For olives? Blair, it's like 2 o'clock in the morning…" Serena answered tiredly, wanting nothing more than to collapse back into the bed.

"I really need them, Serena…maybe you could call the driver to pick some up."

Blair had said the sentence like it was a suggestion, although Serena really knew it was a command. But it was one that could not be made.

"The driver won't come this late…" Serena replied, thinking she had ended the conversation so she could go to sleep again.

"Didn't Lily say that she left the Lexus in the garage?"

"Yes."

These were exactly the types of games Blair was an expert at; Serena had fallen into her trap before she could even discern its presence.

*****

Ten minutes later, Serena was backing her mother's black Lexus LS 600h L out of the garage, fully clothed, while Blair sat next to her in the passenger seat in her expensive silk pajamas, blanket in tow.

"It's a good thing these windows are tinted, I don't think I could handle it if someone saw me like this." Blair announced, as she folded down the visor to inspect her image in the small mirror.

"Definitely…" Serena gave an automatic response. She would have rolled her eyes if she wasn't rubbing them in an attempt to wake up, and gripping the steering wheel tightly to keep the car on the paved driveway, and off of the flawlessly green lawn.

The tall blonde began driving to the nearest store she knew of, as Blair chattered away, basically having a one-sided conversation with herself about her new found love of olives. But when the car's headlights illuminated the dark and empty parking lot of the store, both of the girls' faces fell, each for different reasons.

"It's not open…just like I thought." Serena sighed glumly, and then let her forehead fall onto the top of the steering wheel.

Blair huffed, biting her lip while trying to think of a possible solution. "Okay, I'm calling OnStar, where's the button!?" She reached her hand up, beginning to fumble for a button overhead.

"There is no OnStar, put your hand down, Blair." Serena answered in a monotone voice, following Blair's hand and catching it within her own, before setting it on the seat beside her. "Just don't worry about it, I'll find a store."

The brunette took her hand back, and crossed her arms over her chest, while Serena turned the car around. They proceeded to drive on in relative silence, until finally, after a long series of turning around and reading street signs, they found their way to an open store.

"Oh, thank God!" Serena whispered under her breath, before hastily leaving Blair in the parked car and locking the doors behind her. After all the time they had spent in the car, it took Serena about thirty seconds to grab four jars of green olives, and fumble the money into the very confused looking cashier's hand.

"We are never going back to that store again."

"Why?" Blair quizzed, waiting rather impatiently for Serena to uncap one of the jars for her, as they sat in the parking lot.

"Because that cashier surely thinks that I am a dazed alcoholic who loves her martinis." Serena said, and then had to laugh at the ridiculousness of the entire situation. Even though she had certainly done crazier things for Blair, there was no questioning that.

*****

"Are you about finished with those?" Serena yawned, absent mindedly playing with dark brown strands of hair, as Blair munched on her olives while lying in her lap on the couch once more. She was eating her prized snack in a meticulous fashion; first taking out the pimento, before eating the actual olive itself.

"I suppose…here, take them away from me." Blair told her, and Serena very willingly retired the jar to the side table next to them. The blonde then switched positions, moving to lie down with Blair on her side.

Blair was smiling contently, as she brought her hands to rest on either side of Serena's face. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

"Probably, but you can tell me again…" Serena answered, her lips parting in a bright grin.

"Well, I love you so much, Serena…you're the best girlfriend I've ever had."

"I love you too, but I'm the _only_ girlfriend you've ever had."

"You forgot best."

TBC

**Hey! Thanks for sticking with me, even though it's taking a ridiculous amount of time for me to update...sorry!!! Just a couple more chatpers and then it's baby time, yay!!!**


	15. Shower Me With Love

Chapter 15 – Shower Me With Love

The passing of two and a half more months had brought Serena and Blair into the beginning of August, nearly three weeks away from the baby's due date and into the cooled atmosphere of their town car on a late summer afternoon.

"Serena van der Woodsen, is there a good reason as to why you kept me at some stupid low-end shopping mall all afternoon, because my feet are swollen and they hurt like h –" Blair cut herself off, throwing a fierce glare at her girlfriend as she placed her palm at the side of her stomach, "really badly."

"Stop freaking out, Blair." Serena sighed, setting her mane of blonde hair against the headrest of her seat. She had a mission to complete for Eleanor, and while Blair's manipulative skills were usually enough to make anyone cave, Serena refused to let this be ruined.

"There is no way I can stop freaking out when I can't get the stench of middle class department store perfumes out of my clothing!" Blair stated matter-of-factly and tugged her floral and pastel printed Hermes scarf from her hair, where she had been using it as a headband. After holding the material to her nose for a fleeting moment she screwed up her face in disgust, and then flicked the offending silk away, letting it flutter from her fingertips and onto the leather seat.

At that moment, Serena reopened her eyes to look down at the smooth fabric that had glided over the back of her hand. She studied the details of the elegant flowers on its surface, until suddenly she caught the familiarity of the scenery outside from the corner of her eye, indicating their near arrival.

"B! Close your eyes, don't you dare look out that window!" Serena's abrupt and forceful command had caught Blair off guard, but she was definitely not ready for the blonde launching herself across the seat to clap her hand over her face.

Blair automatically clutched at Serena's wrist, trying to pry her hand away from blocking her vision. "What are you talking about and what are you _doing!_?"

"Just don't look…" Serena directed, keeping her fingers in place. "There may or may not be a surprise waiting for you at home."

Silence enveloped the car for a few seconds, and Serena could feel the apples of Blair's cheeks moving against her hand as her face spread into a slow grin.

"Really?" The brunette's voice sounded pleased, not alluding to the fact that she had just been forcefully blinded by her girlfriend.

The sleek black car idled to a stop in the driveway, and Serena smiled widely as she glanced out the window before making sure Blair was completely sightless. "Do you have your eyes closed!? You can't see anything!?"

"I couldn't possibly see anything, Serena! You're hand is smashing my face!" Blair huffed, surrendering herself to whatever trickery the blonde was putting her through.

"Okay, good!"

Serena carefully guided Blair from the car and up the sidewalk to the front door, making sure to keep the blinders on Blair, for she had been known to ruin a surprise or two by peeking. After helping the brunette waddle up the porch steps, Serena pushed the door open and urged her girlfriend in first.

"Are you ready?" Serena was trying desperately not to laugh, but Blair's annoyed sighs combined with the scene in the foyer was much too humorous.

"I really don't know what you're doing to me, but yes, I guess I'm ready." Blair said monotonously, and then suddenly Serena's hand moved away.

"Daddy!?"

"Blair-Bear, it's so good to see you, darling!" Harold exclaimed, as his very shocked daughter threw herself at him, embracing him in a tight hug.

"I can't believe you're here, Daddy…" Blair spoke enthusiastically, nearly suffocating her father. "No one told me you were coming!"

Eleanor, Dorota, and Serena exchanged knowing glances, all of them smiling at having so thoroughly deceived Blair.

"Well, that would have spoiled the entire surprise!" Harold told her, and then Blair released him from her grip to turn to the person standing not far behind her father.

"And Roman, how are you!?"

Blair threw her arms around Roman's neck as well, probably greeting him in the warmest manner ever, since meeting him.

"Just wonderful, Blair! And may I say that you are more gorgeous than ever!?" The Frenchman gushed in his flamboyantly over the top accent. At that, Blair couldn't help but roll her eyes to herself, he would always slightly annoy her for no good reason at all, aside from the fact that he also acted so ridiculously ditzy all of the time.

After releasing herself from Roman's over eager embrace, Blair made her way towards Serena, who was already mingling with Lily, and her brother, Eric, who were also in attendance. Taking her hand, she brought her to the side for a moment and caught her lips in a quick kiss.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me, Serena. I've been missing him lately." Blair whispered quietly, lacing her arms around the blonde's neck and looking into her deep blue eyes.

"Well, thanks for the kiss, but it wasn't my idea." Serena whispered back, her bright smile filled with laughter at the brunette's confused expression. "I only had to keep the secret, this was all Eleanor's doing."

They both glanced across the room to where Eleanor was giving her a small smile, while she, Harold, Roman, and Lily chatted casually. Blair smirked to herself, her mother really did have a heart, although the eye rolls she was secretly shooting Roman's way outwardly belied the fact.

"Now you know why she had to be so persistent in convincing you to do this, you're so difficult sometimes." Serena spoke lightly against Blair's hair as she moved to wrap her arms around her from behind.

"S?" Blair called for her girlfriend's attention in her sweetest voice.

"Yes, B…"

"Shut up!"

*****

A few hours later the entire group was gathered in the living, where a vast amount of designer boxes were spilling over with ribbon, delicate tissue paper, and ridiculously expensive baby items. FAO Schwarz, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Tiffany, Coach, Cavalli, Gucci, D&G Junior, none of it was off limits and it was easy to see that this little girl would be the most spoiled that the Upper East Side had ever seen.

"So what happens when you take two of Manhattan's richest and most beautiful girls, and let them raise a baby?" Lily laughed over her champagne flute, and then tipped back the rest of its bubbly contents.

"A cocktail for the most perfect little socialite in the making!" Eleanor exclaimed, before clinking her glass against Lily's, and then Harold's and Roman's, who had also joyfully agreed.

"Oh God…" Blair breathed out in exasperation, wanting to drop her face into her hands. Serena was by her side, just giggling quietly over their parents' odd displays.

"It sounds like a cocktail for the most perfect little monster." Eric suddenly murmured under his breath so only his sister and Blair could hear.

The pregnant brunette turned to him with a sugary sneer in place, he was undoubtedly correct. "She will be the cutest little monster you'll ever see!"

"Yeah! Tiny headbands and all!" Serena added swiftly with a lilt of her head, and Blair nodded in agreement.

"That's true, I just feel bad for all the poor innocent souls she is going to crush." Eric stated, feigning sadness as he shook his head back and forth. "They won't see it coming."

"Not if I can help it!" Blair announced proudly, even though her thoughts were completely contradictory. If she could help it her daughter would be more like Serena, someone who was easy going and sincerely cordial, but without the bout of slutty behavior and sudden retreat to boarding school. She wouldn't want the role of high, untouchable queen pushed onto anyone else, because while it looked appealing from the outside, she knew what it felt like from the inside.

Just as she was about to become fully lost in her own hopes, Blair's father distracted her with a happier subject. "So, Blair, Serena, have you decided on a name for her yet?" he asked, after plucking a lime green post-it note from the ebony end table. It was covered in list of names written in Blair's meticulously perfect handwriting; some circled and some neatly crossed out with a line.

Blair just sighed, while using her straw to push the lemon wedge past the ice cubes in her water. "We have _tried_ to narrow it down, but Serena is just too picky."

Disbelieving looks were exchanged throughout the room, Eric chuckled out loud, and soon a shocked Serena was retaliating in her defense.

"Excuse me!? Who is the one who has had very detailed regulations on naming babies, ever since she was like three months pregnant!?" Serena fired back. There was no way she was going to be labeled as the indecisive one out of the couple.

"Well, you know it's important, S! The name has to fit her!" Blair reasoned.

Suddenly, Roman was giddily kicking his foot which rested over his crossed legs, and nearly clapping his hands in his own excitement. Both Blair and Serena turned to him in partial vexation, expecting some random interjection of broken English.

"Maybe you could wait until she is born, and then you will see her little personality and choose a name that fits."

It was difficult work for Serena to turn her head quick enough to get out of his line of vision, before she rolled her eyes dramatically. But Blair, on the other hand, was slowly donning a pleased smile.

"Roman, that might just be the best thing I have ever heard you say!" Blair's reply was honest and double edged; to him it was a compliment, but she had meant it as a sharp barb, because usually his babbling was impossibly dumb. "He's right! How can we name someone we don't really know yet!?"

The two youngest van der Woodsens eyed each other, using their bond as siblings to silently convey that they were both thinking about the oddness of the whole situation. It was a good possibility that Blair had gone completely mad in the last few months of her pregnancy.

*****

"Seventeen days, this feels surreal." Serena stated as she stared at the calendar, while Blair rummaged through the refrigerator later that evening.

"Yeah, this feels surreal alright. I never thought I would be eighteen years old and too fat to bend over." The brunette had one hand underneath her now largely rounded stomach, huffing as she attempted to grasp the olives that had been placed too low on the shelf for her too easily reach.

"Let me get that!"

"Too late…" Blair smirked, holding up the jar just as Serena leapt from the barstool she had been sitting on. "But you can open it for me!"

The blonde narrowed her eyes, taking the last few steps towards her girlfriend. "As if you need help with that!" Snatching the jar from Blair's fingers, she uncapped it and took out an olive, before placing the jar on the countertop.

"You don't even need these, but you know what you do really need?" Serena quizzed, raising the olive to Blair's reddish lips and then snagging it away, causing a whiny sound. "You really need to be in bed."

Just as Blair opened her mouth to protest, the blonde chose that moment to shove the olive into her mouth, quieting her for a second as she chewed, and allowing Serena to begin dragging her into the master bedroom.

"You're supposed to be on bed rest this whole month, as much as possible, and you have been up all day." Serena scolded. Her tone was light and teasing, but they both knew just how serious she was.

The brunette hurriedly swallowed. "It wasn't as if I wanted to be at that mall all day, it was your fault, S!"

"That is exactly why I am demanding that you get in bed." Serena answered, as she dropped Blair's hand to rip the plush comforter and crisp sheets downward. The tall blonde did feel a jab of guilt for having Blair out all day when she was hardly supposed to leave the bedroom, but it was difficult to obey the doctors' orders when everything seemed to be going so well. "And after we get back into the city tomorrow, you are not allowed to leave your bed or do anything unless you're being rushed to the hospital to have a baby!'

"Fine! I just get so bored!"

Serena shot her girlfriend an incredulous look, her eyebrows rising in question as she crossed her arms over her chest. She was not sure how Blair could already be bored by her sentence to bed rest when she had yet to rest at all. Blair just sat against the headboard looking dejected, and soon Serena could not hold her glare, sighing and then letting it melt away into a sympathetic smile.

"You know, before you found out you were pregnant we used to lie in bed for hours…" Serena spoke sexily, while moving onto the mattress and straddling the brunette's thighs.

Blair scoffed at her girlfriend's suggestive comment and clasped her hands over her stomach. "Serena, that was when I actually had something to do in bed!"

Setting her hands atop Blair's, Serena then replied without really thinking. "Well, I guess you could look at it this way, once the baby is born you'll be too busy to ever lie in bed."

"Ugh, not helping…"

"I know, I'm sorry…let's try something else." Serena announced and then managed to situate herself behind Blair so she was leaning back against the headboard, before beginning to knead the brunette's shoulder muscles.

"Mmm, don't stop, S." Blair nearly purred. After carrying around what felt like two hundred extra pounds all day, the sensation of Serena's hands working against her back was amazing.

The blonde nosed dark tendrils of hair from Blair's neck and brushed her lips past the skin beneath her ear. "How does that feel?"

"So good, go lower."

A few minutes passed, and soon the firm press of Serena's fingertips along with the slight pull of her kisses on Blair's throat became too much. The brunette turned her body and after a bit of maneuvering, the two were lying side by side and heatedly kissing, theirs hands tangling in each other's hair.

Serena missed kissing and touching her girlfriend this way, and considering how Blair was hungrily tugging and nipping at her bottom lip, it was obvious that she longed for it too. But when fingers trailed down the blonde's chest, she reluctantly separated herself.

"We can't…we should stop." Serena whispered, and Blair nodded her head in defeat, before relaxing against the pillows and closing her eyes.

Serena took a deep breath and subsequently released it, as she slid Blair's hair over her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. Brown eyes reopened and silently studied the face lying next to hers, until the moment was broken by Serena's voice. Her mind was always bouncing ideas and thoughts back and forth, and she could never remain in silence for too long.

"Are you excited?" She asked in a gentle tone.

Blair furrowed her eyebrows, giving the blonde before her an amused look. "Right now?"

"No, I meant are you excited to finally have her?" Serena chuckled at Blair's confusion, while running her thumb across her cheekbone.

"Oh…" Blair lowered her eyes and gave a small laugh, before looking up again. "Yeah, I am."

"Me too…are you nervous?"

The answer seemed obvious to Blair, but she smiled and rolled her eyes anyway. "Seriously, S? Duh!"

Serena hadn't laughed as expected and a few seconds ticked past before she replied. "I'm nervous too."

Suddenly, the blonde went uncharacteristically quiet. The mattress dipped as Blair moved closer, wrapping her arms around her waist and stroking her back. "What's wrong, S?"

"I don't know…I guess considering what happened, I'm more than a little worried."

"Hey, it's okay, the doctor said everything is fine and I feel fine too." Blair explained. Her efforts to calm Serena's nerves seemed to fail her though, because her girlfriend continued to stare at her blankly. "But I promise to be good and stay in bed!"

She couldn't help but grin, Blair could definitely be sweet when she wanted to. "You better…I just worry about you, I love you."

"I love you too, Serena." Blair whispered, closing the distance between their mouths, and drawing Serena's lips to hers. Once separated after their short kiss, they were both looking much happier.

"Okay, I'll stop now before you start crying or something." Serena teased, which got her face playfully shoved into her pillow.

"Oh please, you were the one near tears!" Blair shouted at her, keeping her hand on Serena's forehead, and pinning her in place while she kissed her lips again.

Pouting her lips, the blonde thrashed her head away, but Blair was relentless. She continued sprinkling quick pecks over Serena's neck and face until she had no other choice but to fight back, gently of course.

"What part of bed _rest_ don't you understand?" Serena laughed, after rolling the brunette to her back and holding her cheeks in her hands. "Now, I'm going to let go of your face, and you're going to sit back and _restfully_ watch TV."

"Alright, but _I_ want the remote and my olives!" Blair demanded with her usual authority.

"Obviously…"

*****

Serena bounded down the winding penthouse staircase, coming from Blair's room after having placed some of their luggage in her spacious closet. After their discussion the previous night, the blonde had kept her word about not allowing Blair to do anything and she was currently trying to beat the elevator, so that her girlfriend wouldn't attempt lifting her overstuffed suitcases by herself. But unbeknownst to her, Blair was trying to be as responsible as possible so as not to worry her over these last weeks.

Slowly jogging across the foyer, she met the elevator just as the doors were beginning to slide open again.

"I'll get the last bag, B…" Serena announced somewhat absentmindedly, concentrating more on her task rather than the brunette.

"Get ready, Serena." Blair said quietly. Serena had already been reaching for the bag, but swiftly whipped her head up after hearing the nervous sounding phrase, only to find Blair standing very still with a strange expression masking her features.

"What?" The blonde asked, a little unsure of the comment's meaning or thinking she had misheard. Blair looked down at herself, and Serena's eyes followed.

"My water just broke…"

**Ahh...you probably weren't expecting that, but I'm too impatient! Some major (good!) events are about to happen, so get ready! Thanks for reading!**


	16. Nine Months In The Making

Chapter 16 – Nine Months In The Making

"Oh my God, Blair, come here and sit down!" Serena commanded, taking her girlfriend's hand and rapidly guiding her to one of the decorative chairs that sat just outside the elevator, in the foyer.

"S, it's okay…" The quiet statement went unnoticed as the blonde was already rummaging through her purse, which happened to be sitting on a small table nearby, for her cell phone. Blair wasn't quite sure if she had been trying to reassure herself or Serena, who was in a sudden tizzy with her phone clutched to her ear.

"Yes, I need you to come back right this second and don't you dare tell me you're already stuck in traffic!" The blonde gave authoritative orders over the phone, complete with over-the-top hand gestures. "Alright, see you a minute."

Serena jumbled the remainder of her words together, and then let the cell phone in her hand fall to her side while pressing the END button. After taking a deep breath through her nose, she slowly released it as she walked to Blair's side; she felt like she was going to be sick with nerves.

"The driver is coming back, just hold on."

The brunette reached for Serena's hand as she knelt down beside the chair, giving them both a sense of comfort in this unexpected situation. They both knew that thousands of women had babies every day, but given past events, they each had their own fears about this day.

"Your hand is shaking, Serena." Blair said with a small, lopsided smile.

She smiled too, looking down while shaking her head lightly and then bringing it up again. "I'm freaking out…"

"Yes, you are…but so am I." The brunette agreed, before placing her other hand underneath her belly, a strained expression coming over her face.

"Are you alright?" asked Serena, worry dripping from her every word and her eyes scrutinizing for any sign of pain. Blair was not quite sure how Serena was going to handle the entire delivery when she was already jumping with concern, but then again, she was not quite sure how she herself was going to handle it either.

Blair just nodded; silently telling her girlfriend it was okay, before actually answering. "It just feels…uncomfortable, nothing too painful yet."

"Baby girl is ahead of schedule…" Serena marveled out loud, causing Blair to release a nervous giggle while trying to patiently wait for the driver to get back. Blue eyes connected with brown eyes, and an apprehensive yet ecstatic gaze passed between them. "Are you ready?"

This caused another small laugh, and Blair gave Serena's hand a squeeze. "S, we don't have a choice!"

*****

Forty-five minutes had passed and Blair was already propped up against overly crisp white pillows with Serena standing at her side, after the breaking of her water had been officially confirmed. The two had thought that ordeal was ridiculous because it had most definitely broken – all over the elevator floor – but the hospital staff had insisted that it was standard procedure to check.

"You're mom is on her way, she's leaving the store now. It should only be a few minutes." Serena gently explained while she smoothed Blair's hand between her own.

The brunette took the news as a welcome distraction, as she was trying to ignore the sickeningly strong smell of alcohol wafting through the air. The nurse standing at her other side let the cool sanitizing liquid evaporate from her skin before beginning to fish for a usable vein. It took just seconds for the woman to start the IV, and then she disappeared from the room just as quietly as she had come.

"Okay…" The reply was somewhat distant, even Blair could tell it sounded off. But she was trying to swallow down the nausea rising in her throat from the needle stinging the back of her hand. Which in all actuality, was nothing compared to the increasingly painful contractions. "She didn't have to come so soon…I'm pretty sure that this is not going to be quick." Blair continued, deciding it was better to talk to her girlfriend than focus on her discomfort.

"Everything is going to be fine, okay? She wants to be here for you and make sure you're alright." Blair just nodded, wanting to quickly acknowledge the statement so she could prepare herself for the ripples of pain coiling in her muscles. Serena could feel the slight increase of pressure in her girlfriend's grip and she held tight to her hand.

Just as promised, Eleanor was swiftly walking into the hospital suite a few moments later. More unexpectedly was Lily following right on her expensive heels.

Serena had to laugh. "Of course, you call one mother and two show up!"

Eleanor had her Blackberry in her hand and was waving it in the air as an explanation, while Lily moved to take Serena into a hug. Blair was wrapped up in her mother's embrace in no time as well.

"Word travels fast in Manhattan…you know that, Serena." Lily smiled brightly at her daughter, before kissing her cheek lightly and then turning her attention towards Blair.

"Has everything been taken care of? Are you comfortable?" Eleanor was quizzing Blair already, because it would always be her nature to treat all situations as if they were a business meeting.

The pregnant brunette gave a forced smile and raised her left hand as evidence of what had occurred during the short period of time prior to her mother's arrival. "I've already been stuck with needles and no, I'm not comfortable. So yes, I think everything has been tended to."

Eleanor patted Blair's cheek and the smile on her face was one of sympathy. "Well, darling, I'm afraid that won't be changing for a while." The younger brunette was in just enough pain to forget about rolling her eyes all together.

Once Eleanor and her daughter had finished their short exchange, Lily leaned down and swept Blair into her arms. Lily's Chanel perfume smelled familiar and comforting as the brunette held to her shoulders. The two would always have an emotional connection, formed years before when Blair and Serena's friendship had just begun.

"Sweetheart, do you need anything?" Lily asked, as she pulled away. "I can go back to the penthouses and get anything you want."

After the girls requested a few items, the oldest van der Woodsen hurried back to the black town car waiting outside on the busy, East 77th Street. Leaving Blair, Eleanor, and Serena to entertain themselves with idle chatting.

"I talked to your father on the way over. He said he could come up anytime you want him to." Eleanor stated, while seating herself in one of the chairs occupying the room.

At this news, Blair seemed to perk up a little, but the reaction was short lived and soon her eyes were darkening. "Daddy can come, but I don't want that _French fool_ bumbling around me." Serena did not even try to stifle her amused giggles and Eleanor joined in too, her lips quirking into a smile that revealed all of her own opinions of Roman.

"Why, you seemed quite pleased with him yesterday?" Eleanor jokingly pried. There were obvious reasons as to why Roman should never be allowed in a hospital, of all places.

"_Mother_…"

Another laugh filled the room and Serena squeezed Blair's hand, before moving to exit the room. "I'll leave you two to your conversation. I'm going to run down to the gift shop and pick up some magazines or something."

Blair slyly shot Serena a look, as if to say, "You would leave me with my mother to talk about stupid Roman," but the blonde was already disappearing through the heavy door. Huffing lightly, the brunette snuck her eyes to the left and studied Eleanor, who was fixated on her Blackberry once again. _Probably sending out a mass e-mail concerning this wonderfully painful event!_

Blair let her eyelids slip shut; she figured that if she pretended to sleep then she wouldn't have to force herself to carry on a conversation when she really did not feel like talking at all. She steeled herself against another contraction and tried to turn her focus elsewhere. If she listened, the incessant ticking of her mother's cell phone keys could be heard, along with the far off repeating bleep of a monitor; she would not be able to sleep if she wanted to anyway.

After a few minutes, Eleanor's shoes clicked off of the immaculately clean tile floor and the younger woman in the room tried to relax her face for believability's sake. Blair felt a hand rest over hers for a moment, before retreating, and then more clicks could be heard as they echoed out of the room.

When Serena reappeared the brunette was still faking slumber, but she was experienced enough to detect Blair's wiles.

"I know you're not really sleeping, B, so you can stop pretending," announced Serena, as she flopped two magazines over her girlfriend's legs.

Blair cracked one eye open and peered at Serena with disdain, looking much like she did when the blonde annoyingly twisted her hair around her finger and plucked at her sleep mask, until she woke up in the morning. But a shining smile was parting Serena's lips and Blair really could not compete with that.

"Okay, move over…" Serena sweetly demanded, hopping onto the bed beside Blair and grabbing the magazines again. "So do you want to read Vogue or Cosmo?"

Snatching the Cosmo in her hand, Blair skimmed the cover and then read aloud. "Guys rate 125 sex moves…pssh, _men_…that only leads to trouble, and by trouble I mean this!" The largely pregnant brunette gestured to her rounded abdomen with the magazine and then both girls watched the colorful pages flutter as it was tossed to the floor.

"Give me that Vogue." Serena handed over the other magazine, hoping that it would not suffer the same fate as the Cosmo. The next few moments were spent in silence while Blair rustled through the designer drenched pages, occasionally stopping to take a sharp breath and place her palm against her stomach.

After an obvious bout of pain, the blonde used her index finger to point out an expensive and particularly Blair-esque, Dolce & Gabbana headband. "What do you think of this one?"

"It looks awful with her hair color…it would look better on me."Blair stated monotonously.

"There's my B, ever the fashion critic!" Serena gave an experimental laugh, to which Blair answered by retiring the magazine to Serena's lap and letting her head slump against her shoulder.

Serena took this as a sign of them being finished with their reading and set the magazine aside. Her hand found its place over Blair's, resting on the side of her belly.

*****

A few hours after their hospital stay had begun; another nameless nurse came to start a Pitocin drip at the request of Blair's physician. Given the history of her pregnancy and it being considered high risk, it was for the best. But Blair could have argued otherwise.

She had already vomited twice, and was now laying on her side clutching the rail at the side of the bed while Serena stroked her hair. One of Blair's greatest dislikes was being weak, but as she concentrated on her shallow breathing and bit her lip, she could not bring herself to care.

"Please, talk to me, B." Serena's concerned plea was said with half a smile, showing that she just wanted to make sure Blair was alright.

"What do you want me to say?" Blair whispered back through partially gritted teeth. The blonde by her side had expected more of her classic outbursts and snide remarks throughout this event. Maybe even something rivaling her yowling and writhing on the field when she had tackled her to the ground playing field hockey. But so far, Serena was just being unsettled by Blair staying eerily quiet.

"Just let me know you're alright."

"Fine, I'm alright." Blair responded blandly.

Serena gave her a poignant glare, raising one of her brows as she did. "Blair, I know you can lie better than that." Serena smiled then, and the corners of the brunette's mouth turned up for a moment, before her eyes closed and she sniffled quietly.

The tall blonde immediately leaned down to Blair's level and wrapped her up in a hug. The fabric of Serena's shirt felt soft and familiar wrinkling beneath her fingertips, but it really could not make her feel better. Not when she was lying on stupidly cheap sheets while experiencing the worst pain ever.

"S, she doesn't have a name!" Blair sobbed in frustration, which was only continuing to mount as her IV line pulled while she tried to grip Serena's shoulder. "She's hours away from being born and she doesn't even have a name!"

Serena brushed her thumb against her girlfriend's cheek. "Blair, I know you're upset, but I promise we'll figure something out. Just try to rest, please don't worry."

"I am trying, but I can't!" The brunette spat back and jerked her face from the touch. Blair dramatically crossed her arms and before Serena could stop her, she had tugged her IV again. "Ow, _damnit_!"

The blonde almost wanted to smile or jokingly say, "Here we go!" But fortunately, the fit she had predicted was already in full swing, leaving her no time to say anything that would only fuel the fire.

Blair ripped her hand away from her chest, making the thin rubber tubing toss in the air, before she slammed it down on the railing, violently protesting her own actions by making the furniture suffer a white knuckle grip. Her breathing was heavy and Serena could practically hear the gears working in her head, just trying to decide which of her current annoyances would be voiced first.

"You know, this is ridiculous! Can't someone give me more medication…something besides the liquid torment and whatever else they're pumping into me, which _obviously _is not working!?" Blair suddenly spouted, eyeing her girlfriend with a crazed expression.

A pause filled the next few seconds; Serena wasn't quite sure what Blair was proposing. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know, Serena! Call a nurse, a doctor, a drug dealer, take a walk around the block, somebody has to have someth –" The brunette's bout of ranting was cut short by her own whimper of pain and the banging of her balled up fist against the bed rail.

"Hey, stop…" Serena was taking Blair's tightly clenched fist into her hand, and gently opening her fingers to hold them in her own. With her other hand, she reached out to lift Blair's bowed head. Dark brown eyes sought out blue ones, trying to find some type of solace.

Fortunately, after doing it for nearly two decades, Serena had become an expert at comforting Blair. Half of the time she could scarcely organize her own thoughts, but when it came to her best friend, it had always been easy for her.

"B, I know you feel horrible right now, but you're not going to make it any better by freaking out. You can't control it, so you're just going to have to deal with it."

Those words coming from anyone else would have only caused more distress. But coming from Serena they were said with just the right amount of understanding and an edge of assertiveness that made Blair listen, and see reason in the situation.

The brunette sighed, sadness emanating from her glum face. "But I just wish I didn't have to."

Now, it was Serena's turn to sigh as she ran a hand through silky locks. She still had yet to master the technique of refusing Blair, and she doubted that she ever would.

*****

Two nurses, one anesthetist, and an epidural later, Blair was curled up on her side. Sleeping soundly after finally having her senses numbed into relaxation. The room was quiet and the lights had been dimmed to a drowsy level, which Serena could attest.

She had yet to leave her makeshift post, instead deciding to stay to watch over her girlfriend and busy herself by scanning through the articles of one of the discarded magazines. Darkness had just taken to the sky outside and despite only having sat in a hospital all day, Serena felt exhausted. It did not help that the light rhythm of Blair's even breathing was all that could be heard and that it was lulling her even more.

As if her mother could read her mind from across the city blocks separating them, Serena's cell phone began a muffled buzzing against the leather of her bag, disrupting her sleepiness. Grabbing the device, she hurriedly made her way from the room to answer the call and nearly collided with a nurse who had been entering.

"Just making the rounds, how is she?" the woman asked with a light smile. Serena opened the door a bit wider, revealing her peacefully resting girlfriend.

"She's fine now, but do you think I could get one of those too?" Serena teased with a grin of her own, referring to the epidural which had so quickly taken effect.

"I'll see what I can do," the nurse laughed. "I won't wake her, just let one of us know if you need anything at all."

Serena gave an appreciative nod. "I will, thank you."

By the time the conversation had ended, the ringing of her phone had ended as well. Realizing that cell phones were relatively taboo inside a hospital, she scanned the hallways and found them mostly empty before redialing Lily.

"Hey, mom." The blonde spoke in hushed tones, as she walked through a random hallway and found herself at the glass of the nursery. She could not stop the smile from spreading across her face at the sight of the few infants lying in their blankets.

"She was getting sick, but she just got an epidural…she's asleep now. Yes, Eleanor is still here somewhere." Serena distractedly answered the customary questioning on how Blair was feeling and the status of the situation, while her eyes landed on a particular baby. The only one wrapped in light pink material with wispy dark hair.

Her stomach turned over in a sort of overwhelming anticipation and she was no longer trying very hard to hear what Lily was saying. In what could only be described as a short amount of time, she and Blair would have something just like that, but all their own and all of their responsibility.

Serena's mother spoke into her ear over the phone, but it took her a moment to refocus and respond. "What? Oh, don't worry about it. You know how she is, she didn't want to keep you here all day."

After having left the hospital, Blair insisted that Lily wait to come back, convincing her that she should wait until evening to return, so as not to waste her entire day while nothing was happening and of course, she did not want it to seem as if she really needed anything from anyone.

"Well, just come back now or whatever." Serena offered, her fingers trailing along the sill. "No, I don't think we need anything else…" The baby she had been watching was beginning to wake, her softly colored brows furrowing in gentle frustration. Now, all Serena could think of was of how she and Blair's baby would probably do the same endearing things, just in an even more adorable fashion.

But as Lily was murmuring her 'goodbyes,' Serena remembered something so important that she really could not believe that she had forgotten it at all and her previous thoughts escaped her mind. "Wait! There is one more thing I need!"

"No, no, I can't tell you what it is, but it's in my closet in a…in a Tiffany's bag. You _cannot_ forget it! Just don't look at it, or touch it, or even think about it, just bring it straight to me!"

Serena snapped her cell phone shut before Lily could work any details out of her, hoping that she would follow her orders and not peek into the iconic blue bag. A huff of breath swirled the ends of her hair. Now, she was feeling overwhelmed for all sorts of reasons.

*****

"Do you have it?" Serena asked, trying to keep the edge of panic and desperation out of her voice. She stole a glance towards her still sleeping girlfriend, and then eyed her mother expectantly.

Lily began an adventure through her large handbag, first pulling out a silk sleep mask and then the baby name book. "You probably want this, since apparently she doesn't have a name yet."

"Ugh, yeah, I know, but where is the other stuff I asked for?" the blonde pressed on, hoping to hurry Lily along.

"It's right here, she isn't going to see it when she's asleep…" Lily replied. She sounded exasperated by her daughter's behavior and turned a look of wondering to her as she handed over the bag. It was obvious that it contained some type of gift for Blair, but it eluded her as to why it was such a mystery.

"Ahh, Tiffany's, she'll love that!"

Eleanor decided to reappear just as Serena was stowing away the robin's egg blue bag in her own purse. "What is it, Serena?" she asked none too quietly, from the doorway.

As the younger blonde straightened back up, she casually ran a hand through her hair and put on a sly smirk. Now that her surprise was out of sight she was feeling much calmer. "You know what it is? It's nothing that you two need to worry about, just a little something for _my_ girlfriend."

Lily and Eleanor seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the response, but it was evident that they were not going to get a private viewing of whatever glistening gems Serena was keeping, so each contented themselves with sinking into a chair.

Serena had just sat down herself when Blair turned onto her back and harshly furrowed her brows. Her eyes begrudgingly opened, shooting a disgusted sneer around the room.

"Why do you three insist on being so loud?" Blair practically growled through her curled lips and then threw her forearm across her eyes. She had the art of not pulling her IV mastered now, using her right hand while her left hand lied motionless by her side.

"We're sorry, B." Serena assured, as she moved toward her girlfriend, but not before giving Eleanor and Lily a glare that rivaled Blair's own. Fortunately, it seemed as if she hadn't been listening to what they had been saying. "Can I lay with you?"

"I suppose…" came the brunette's haughty response.

"My mom brought something for us." Serena held the book up as an explanation to her announcement, and received a displeased snort from Blair.

"Someone might as well just pick some names because I can't choose." Blair spat, looking as if she would have nothing to do with the text the blonde held.

"Okay, fine, Eleanor do you want to –"

"Wait…" Blair abruptly burst out, and then swiftly trailed off; not wanting it to seem like Serena knew almost all of the ways to bypass her bitchiness. "Maybe I'll be able to find something suitable after all."

After long moments of Blair turning pages in what seemed to be genuine vexation, her physician suddenly entered the room and she already knew what to expect. She did not think she would ever get used to having someone dip their face between her thighs while wearing some goofy grin – except Serena. It made her feel like she should give the man a thumbs up as he happily descended below the sheet across her legs, before kicking him in the head.

Judging from the set of Serena's mouth and the perturbed look creasing her forehead, it was a great possibility that she was having the same thoughts.

"You're dilated to nearly ten centimeters. I think we should try some pushing."

Well, maybe she hadn't expected that.

"What!? No…I'm not ready yet!" Blair protested, her voice high with anxiety as she whipped her head towards Serena to see her reaction to the doctor's statement. She had obviously known this would eventually have to happen, but she had been trying to fast forward through that part in her mind.

"You're ready, you can do it." Serena gently reassured, and the quick smile she had for the brunette was much more settling than the overly enthusiastic expression of the nurse beginning to pull her knee back.

Before Blair could say anything more, Eleanor was taking her hand with a firm grip, just as Serena was doing with her other hand. She was trapped now, with no way out.

"Now, Blair, I need you to remember to breathe for me and just bear down." The doctor instructed and the brunette nervously listened, adjusting her grasp around Serena's palm.

With her epidural still providing some relief, the first push was not so bad, nor was the second, or the third, but when she began to lose count and she could no longer easily control her breathing, her senses became overwrought. The hair at the nape of her neck was slick with sweat, an annoying sensation in itself, but magnified by every other discomfort she was feeling. Blair wanted the doctor and nurses to shut their mouths, she did not need to hear about how good she was doing, because nothing about the entire situation felt good at all.

Serena was petting her hand and murmuring the only words of encouragement she wanted to hear out of anyone, but it was not preventing her from wanting to give up. Stopping mid-push, Blair let go of her girlfriend's fingers, gaining the chiding disapproval of her 'coaches.'

It was not as if Blair ever gave up on things. In fact, she could not remember a time when she had not succeeded when she absolutely wanted to, but she was almost sure that child birth was about to break that record. The worst part was that everyone was watching as the frustrated tears fell down her cheekbones, after they had pooled at the corners of her eyes.

"I don't think I can do this." Blair tiredly admitted, the tone of defeat noticeable in her panted words. The energy in the room immediately decreased with her lack of ambition.

"Blair, I really think we could avoid a C-section…" her doctor gently advised, as he sat up to meet her eyes.

"Come on, B." Serena urged, placing her hand on Blair's cheek as she moved to sit down beside her. The brunette silently met her girlfriend's gaze and let her wipe away some of the moisture coating her skin. "You've been through so much, are you really going to let this get the best of you?"

Blair shook her head in disagreement, she was not sure whether she should be upset or offended, and she was really too tired to do either, so instead she just listened to what Serena had to say.

"Then you need to use all of that stubborn Waldorf determination – which I know you possess – so we can have this baby, okay?"

Serena finished with a serious look, and Blair gathered herself again; she could not have agreed more. "Okay…" She was the Queen B and she was going to make having a baby look like a stroll through Central Park.

After Serena's persuasion, Blair began pushing for what felt like an agonizingly long amount of time (a time in which she forgot all about Central Park and lazy walks), and just as the thought that she _honestly_ might not have the strength to continue flashed through her pain addled mind, she gave one last push and then suddenly it was over. There was a rush of dizziness and Blair collapsed back against the pillows, bringing Serena down with her by the arm around her shoulders. She was breathing heavily and just beginning to register the little wails filling the room, when Serena tenderly grasped her jaw, effectively blocking out the harsh fluorescent lighting from above by giving her a comforting kiss.

"I love you, B." Serena's voice slipped on the tears gathering in her eyes, as she ran her fingertips down Blair's damp, flushed cheek.

She had managed to fight her way through labor and now she just had to concentrate on speaking again; a task which proved to be more difficult than expected when she was unable to draw steady breaths. "I love you too."

When her girlfriend pulled back and the blanketed weight of her newborn daughter was settled on her chest, Blair was taken by a sensation that was more than a little overwhelming. For a few moments – as the pads of her fingers softly skimmed the light pink fleece and carefully adjusted the fabric so that the baby's face was clearly visible – she could forget about everything around her. The tears that had already been close behind her eyes quickly sprang back to life and Blair let them spill over, not even bothering to wipe them away with her knuckle as she normally would.

It was really too much. Looking into the long lashed, soft brown eyes which were a perfect miniature of her own was suddenly bringing Blair more happiness than she had ever remembered feeling. In all the things she had done at Constance Billard and in all the things she had strived for throughout her life, she had never felt anything as gratifying as holding her daughter for just a few short moments. This was a new emotion, and although she wasn't quite sure what to make of it yet, she knew it would be easily accepted.

A hand laid itself over Blair's, momentarily breaking her concentration. "She looks just like you, Blair," Serena spoke lightly, leaning in as they both adoringly watched the infant wrapped up against the brunette's chest. "She's gorgeous."

Blair did not attempt to answer, her throat was too constricted and how she felt could not be put into words anyway. But her shaky breath and slight nod were enough for Serena, who was immensely happy from just watching her girlfriend's sweet reaction.

Reaching out, Blair very hesitantly touched the tip of her finger to her baby's lips and it made her think of something Serena had said the night before. It felt surreal. But the warm reddened skin brushing past her fingertips told her it was not.

Serena could hardly contain herself as she awaited her chance to hold their newborn, but she was trying to be patient. She was wondering if Blair was ever going to speak again – because she had about a million things to say – and when the baby's little face began to scrunch in irritation, she received the most perfect answer.

"Shh, I'm right here…don't cry, baby girl." Blair cooed in a light tone. Her disheveled curls were framing her face and her smile was beaming when she pressed her lips to her daughter's forehead. The image was enough to make a fresh set of tears start anew in Serena's eyes; just when she thought she knew Blair Waldorf, she got to see an entirely new side of her.

The blonde beside her sniffled and she turned to her, smile still in place. Without saying anything, Blair carefully moved the bundle of blankets in her arms to her girlfriend's waiting embrace.

"Hey, sweetheart…you look just like your mommy, you're so beautiful." Serena cutely babbled the words she had told Blair, causing the baby to blink her eyes and open her mouth, as if she was recognizing this as something she should probably acknowledge.

Blair giggled at the exchange. "You always know what to say, Serena…she likes it."

"I just know Waldorf girls love their compliments." Serena stated with a laugh, as she stroked tufts of surprisingly thick brown hair.

"Of course, especially when they are so deserved!" Eleanor chimed in and both Blair and Serena were reminded that their mothers were still in the room, after being so thoroughly distracted. A kiss was placed on Blair's cheek. "You did so well, Blair, and congratulations, you've made me feel very old."

Blair thanked her mother for the kind words and smirked at her humorous comment, before giving her attention to her daughter again, who was still being doted upon by Serena, and now, Lily.

"So, now that you've seen her, do any names come to mind?" Serena asked. Her expression was one of giddiness and Blair knew that she was already completely smitten; she had seen that face before.

"Well…actually there is one."

"Really?"

Blair nodded, increasing the blonde's excitement all the more. "I was thinking of…Carabella, Carabella Nicole," the brunette hesitantly announced, before quickly finishing, "but only if you like it too, S."

Serena immediately melted. "Aww, I remember when we talked about that, that night."

"Yeah, it just seemed to stick in my head…so do you like it?" Blair quizzed hopefully, lightly sinking her teeth into her bottom lip as she waited to hear Serena's reply. The thought that Serena might not care for the name had worried her a bit, because for some reason, no other name had stuck out to her like that one had.

"I think it's perfect."

*****

Once the task of choosing an official name had concluded, Blair had quickly and easily drifted off to sleep while nursing the newly named Carabella. And while Serena had joined them in their rest for a few hours, her own anxious anticipation had forced her to waking once again.

It was not helping that in Blair's exhaustion she had let her head collapse against Serena's shoulder and had not moved since closing her eyes. So, trying to be as still as possible, the blonde maneuvered her arm from beneath her girlfriend's weight. But her efforts were somewhat jarring, and soon the baby propped up by pillows and sprawled against Blair's chest was crying out about the disturbance.

The sudden noise was still new and unfamiliar, and although Blair's palm still remained cupped around the back of Carabella's hat covered head, the light cries startled her awake.

"Forget where you are?" Serena spoke lightly.

"Mmm…it's hard to forget this place." Blair whispered; sleep still heavy in her voice. She reclosed her eyes moments later and turned her face into her daughter, who had already calmed and settled her head against Blair's shoulder. "What time is it, S?"

The blonde did not even give the clock on the wall a short glance before answering. "I don't know…the middle of the night or something, it doesn't matter. Are you going back to sleep?"

"Maybe, why?" Blair lazily questioned back and decided to crack her bleary eyes open a bit.

"Because I have something for you."

The prospect of receiving the unknown something perked up the brunette, but she also seemed to be wondering why Serena had to give gifts during the early hours of the morning.

"I can't wait any longer…" Serena stated, doing a perfect job of reading Blair's thoughts.

Humoring her girlfriend with a sleepy smile, Blair waited patiently as Serena reached behind her to the table and retrieved from her purse, a distinctly colored blue box, finished with a satiny white ribbon.

If it had not been for Carabella lying asleep on her chest, she most likely would have squealed in excitement and surprise when Serena's fingertips untied the perfect bow and slipped off the lid, revealing the white gold bracelet and highly glistening charms they had been admiring months earlier.

"You remembered," Blair turned to the blonde with adoration showing all over her features, "even I forgot…when did you get it?"

"How could I forget your ingenious way of feeling better after morning sickness?" Serena quipped before taking on a shy quality, and lowering her eyes. "And I got them that morning when we were in the store, I had to have them for you."

A smile was shared that conveyed all the sweet things Blair was thinking, without having to say a word. They had always been able to understand one another with just a quick smile or passing glance, and this was no exception.

"Well, I love it, Serena…thank you."

"You're welcome, but don't you want to look at it before you thank me," teased Serena, while she bounced her eyebrows in question.

"Of course I do." Blair's response came after a soft press of their lips.

Serena placed the bracelet – which had yet to be closely looked at – over the brunette's fingers in order for her to take in all of the exquisitely crafted details.

As they lay on her palm, Blair studied the gold rocking horse with its round brilliant diamonds, the heart lock charm announcing 'It's A Girl, and the diamond and pink enamel baby carriage, all while Serena watched over her amused expressions.

When her girlfriend began turning her hand over to view the charms on the other side of her fingers, Serena's eager blue eyes were glued to her face, prepared to gauge her reaction to what she was about to see.

The brunette's face had been one of relaxed contentment before, but upon furthering her exploration her brows quirked in confusion, and her mouth fell open. One, a baby duck tag charm, had been engraved with a hyphenated version of the initials of she and Serena's last names. While the second, another heart lock charm, read 'Marry Me' in slanted script letters.

Blair nearly gave herself whiplash turning towards Serena. The blonde was giving her a happy smile; somewhat nervous, but nonetheless happy and hopeful.

"S…" The simple nickname was whispered in a hushed tone, but still held all of the love that had been there for as long as each of them could remember.

"Shh, please don't say anything yet…" Serena whispered just as quietly, touching her index finger to Blair's lips. It was not hard for her to not speak, she felt as if her heart was in her throat. She wondered how Serena could.

Moving her thumb to brush along the edge of Blair's bottom lip, Serena started to speak again. "I know we're young," she began with a cute eye roll at her own parent-like statement, "and I know that we have a lot to consider right now…"

This time she paused to steal a glance at Carabella and run the backs of her knuckles carefully across her soft cheek, instantly making Blair smile in a deep appreciate of her ever caring nature.

"But, I love you and Carabella both so much, and I always want to be here for you, so, Blair, would you marry me?" Serena finished, her expression turning serious as she looked up at who she soon hoped would be her fiancé.

Blair was not sure when or how Serena managed to get the marquise cut diamond engagement ring into her hands, but it did not matter, because she was _sure_ of the answer she was going to give. In fact, somewhere in the back of her mind the thought of how in the world Serena could not already know her answer flickered faintly.

"Yes…" Blair answered softly, an elated smile growing and her frequently recurring tears glazing her eyes once again. "Yes, Serena, of course, I mean…did you really think I would refuse?"

A sharp release of breath, resembling something between a heaved sigh of relief and a short expression of amusement rushed past the blonde's mouth, before she took Blair's lips in a kiss.

"I didn't know what you would say, you make me nervous."

"Well, I'm definitely saying yes, but you should always be a little nervous." Blair replied in a devilish way, but she just could not resist teasing Serena. When compared to the present, it was difficult to believe that there was a time when the two could hardly get past competing with one another.

Serena just laughed, not at all surprised by that response. "Well, thank you for torturing me, B. But would you take this before I think you've changed your mind."

Blair offered her hand, which betrayed her calm demeanor with slightly trembling fingers. The flawless platinum felt cool sliding along her skin and it sent a chill through her body. This is what she had always wanted; even if she hadn't known it would be with Serena.

"Perfect fit…" Serena marveled aloud as if she did not already know that it would be.

"Yes." Blair breathed out; because it was the only thing she could think of to say as she stared down at the ring on her finger. Which looked stunning even in the dim lighting.

"I hope our parents don't kill me for this." Serena half giggled, and then scooped up Carabella and tucked her against all of the messy gold hair lying over her shoulders. "But I don't care anyway!"

"You're going to wake her up, Ser – wait, you mean no one knows about this?"

The blonde hid her guilty smirk in the folds of material wrapped around the newborn. "Are you kidding!? I wasn't even sure if I would be brave enough to ask, obviously I didn't tell anyone!"

Blair could only shake her head and pull Serena into a kiss. Even Serena, who seemed to have a never ending source of confidence, had her moments, just as Blair had hers. But _together_ they understood each other, knew one another better than anyone else ever could, and that is what would continue to keep them _together_.

TBC

**Finally, right!? So sorry for taking forevs between updates, but this chapter was probably the hardest to write as of yet, so hopefully I did it justice and you all like it! Thanks for reading! ;)**


	17. Bringing Home Baby

Chapter 17 – Bringing Home Baby

"Man, six pounds, seven ounces, starts to feel like a lot when you have to keep carrying it around." Serena voiced her observation as she followed Blair across the foyer and into the living room of the Waldorf penthouse, while she carried Carabella in her pink fabric trimmed car seat.

"Oh, S, I do not want to hear about carrying her around, I did that and then some. Just try pushing her through your –"

"Miss Blair! Finally, you are home!" Dorota basically shouted, as she shuffled towards Serena and Carabella from the kitchen.

For once in her life, Blair did not mind having someone else devour all of the attention. In fact, the only thing she could feel as she watched Dorota hastily undoing car seat straps and lifting her daughter into her arms was intense pride. It also helped that the maid continued to repeat the phrase, "So gorgeous, just like your mommy!" If Blair hadn't already known she was gorgeous, she surely did now, because it was all she had been hearing over the past two days; she could not complain.

"Dorota," Blair began, adjusting her sore body on the chaise lounge while sending her girlfriend – corrected, _her fiancé_ – a sneaky smirk. "What do you think of this?"

"Of what?" Dorota tore her focus from Carabella and turned to the young woman who she had been caring for, for nearly all of her life.

Serena was now standing behind Blair as she laid back, running her fingers through her hair and anticipating the maid's reaction to Blair announcing their engagement. Her hand was already extended as she spoke the words, "Of this."

At first, Dorota's face seemed to form a scowl as she examined the lustrous ring and the blonde wondered if Blair was recovered enough from delivery to protect her if need be. It was a well known fact that she was probably the most protective figure in Blair's life, aside from Serena herself and now that Serena was taking her Blair and brand new baby-Blair away, the outcome was liable to get nasty.

"A ring? From who?" The woman spoke in her thick accent, still appearing somewhat confused.

Blair wiggled her fingertips and gave her a bright grin. "It's from Serena, silly Dorota…we're getting married!"

This was the ultimate test for Blair and Serena. In her genuine concern, Dorota was normally their toughest critic, so if they gained her approval they would be in the clear. Because their parents had already broken the news to themselves when they found the two asleep at the hospital, with Blair's hand wrapped around Serena's fingers, a frosty Tiffany engagement ring reflecting glints of morning sunlight. Needless to say, they did not remain sleeping for much longer.

"Married?" Dorota echoed. Her expression was devoid of any emotion and she was clutching Carabella to her chest as if she was some type of collateral against their brash decision.

Blair's face fell a bit and the blonde behind her was prepared to sprint for the elevator. "Um…yes?"

A few seconds slowly ticked by and then suddenly Dorota's face was splitting into the biggest smile either of them had ever seen her wearing and she was letting out various strings of excited, yet horribly broken English.

"I always know you would be with Miss Serena, always! Not Mister Nate or Mister Chuck, but always Miss Serena!" Dorota gushed loudly, sending Carabella into a crying jag which Blair quickly began to remedy.

"Here, Dorota, give her to me, please."

The maid rapidly but gently settled the infant into Blair's arms, before patting Serena's cheek in a congratulatory manner. She then stepped back and held her hands up like she had just formulated a brilliant idea. "We must celebrate! I go fetch champagne!"

"Oh no, Dorota, I don't think we'll be needing any –" Serena tried to explain, but was swiftly cut off by her brunette counterpart.

"Let her go!" Blair hissed under her breath. She was still attempting to hush Carabella and she already knew it would be much easier to do so without her excitable maid in the room.

Dorota had already fled to the kitchen again before Serena could even acknowledge the statement, so she took it as an opportunity to take a seat beside her daughter and soon-to-be wife.

"Carabella, why are you crying? You don't have anything to cry about." Blair smiled and offered her index finger, which the baby immediately grasped in her tiny fist. Just hearing her mother's voice seemed to take affect and her face gradually began to relax.

"Oh yes she did!" Serena announced. "Cry all you want, baby girl, because I was about to cry too! Dorota is scary!"

"Shut up, S…" the brunette jokingly scolded after nudging Serena with her elbow.

The tall blonde stretched her legs out on the chaise and pet Carabella's head, before letting out a triumphant little giggle. "But you saved me, Cara, you're too adorable to let Dorota get angry."

"Cara? Is that what you're going to call her?" Blair questioned lightly, feeling content and happier than ever as she turned to Serena.

"Yeah, probably…why?" Serena met her gaze with an easy smile.

"Nothing…I just like how it sounds when you say it." Reaching up with her other hand, she traced the blonde's jaw line and then pulled her face towards her own. "I love you, Serena, you know that right?"

Serena felt herself blush under Blair's sincere words; her dark eyes were so intense as they pierced into her own. "Yes, because I love you too." Just as Serena had tilted the brunette's head back to accept a kiss, her cell phone buzzed in the front pocket of her designer jeans. Blair made a pouty noise and pulled away, knowing that the message should probably be answered.

Taking the phone from her pocket, Serena pressed a few buttons and huffed in response to the sender. "It's Gossip Girl, should I look at it?"

"Might as well. It can't be about us, the only place we went this weekend was the hospital." Blair scoffed.

"True…" Serena trailed off, beginning to read, but then suddenly she was looking more pleased than anyone should while reading a Gossip Girl post. "Aww!"

**Spotted: Our two UES Queens debuting a little pink bundle of royalty, fresh from Lenox Hill. Reported to have familiar dark brown locks complete with tiny bow intact and pouting lips; a sure sign that there will be another generation enduring heartbreak and havoc courtesy of Waldorf – van der Woodsen. Yes, that's right, Waldorf – van der Woodsen! Congrats on the engagement, S & B, we just can't thank you enough for carrying on the legacy…**

**You Know You Love Her Already,**

**XOXO**

**Gossip Girl**

"Oh my God, that has got to be the nicest Gossip Girl blast I have ever read!" Serena exclaimed, after having repeated the words to Blair and showing her the picture, which was an image of the two leaving the hospital earlier that morning; Serena holding Carabella, while helping Blair into their car. "I mean, come on! She even devoted her signature sign-off to Cara, that's pretty significant!"

"Did you hear that!? Your first Gossip Girl blast, Carabella, this is like a major milestone in your life and you're only a day and a half old!" Blair stated with glee. She sounded nothing like her usual self, the cold tones and sarcasm that had previously colored her language was completely gone.

The blonde tossed her cell phone down to the thick carpeting below. "Seriously, it took me over half of my life to get on Gossip Girl."

"Umm, S, I think you have had plenty of posts to make up for lost time!" Blair laughed and then leaned closer to the infant she was holding, like she was telling a secret to her. "She's the bad mom, I'm the good mom…just so you know."

"Blair!? Don't tell her that!"

The brunette gave Serena a sweet, oh-so-innocent smile.

"Speaking of moms, where did you learn to be such a good one? Because really, you are, B." Serena said honestly, interested to know how Blair would respond.

Blair shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know…Mary Poppins?"

Serena immediately erupted into a fit of laughter. "Oh, you liar! You never even liked that movie when we were younger!"

"Well, I just really don't know," Blair said softly as she gave Carabella her other fingertip, "it's not that hard to do, it just happens."

*****

The breezy air was cool and refreshing as it blew in from the shore of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. It was the perfect afternoon to enjoy a late summer polo match in the Hamptons, which was exactly what the infamous Chuck Bass intended to do.

A bartender had just handed him a freshly poured drink and he was now leaning his back against the bar, surveying the scene with his mocking eyes. He could have returned to his seat alongside Bart and his potential business partners that he was entertaining for the day. But Chuck was almost certain that there was some lonely and beautiful, preferably single woman just begging to be relieved of the smell of polo ponies and newly turned divots.

It only took a matter of moments for his assumptions to ring true, as a stunning blonde tipped her glass of golden Veuve Clicquot champagne his way. Chuck's slow nod of acknowledgment – which was probably more like personal approval – occurred within seconds, and soon the young woman was standing from her seat and making her way towards the bar area.

As she sauntered up to his side and her eyes roved over his crisp finished-with-a-salmon-colored-bow-tie outfit, Chuck made no move to give her a proper greeting. Instead, choosing to keep a grasp on his drink and utter the classic, "I'm Chuck Bass."

"Really?" the woman murmured, tilting her head and showing him a smile which looked more stupid than sexy. Chuck immediately picked up on her accent, it was something European that he could not quite place, but all it meant to him was that after whatever exchange they might have, he would never see her again. "Well then, it seems I have heard a lot about you."

"Oh, have you? Well, it really comes as no surprise…I have a lot of _traits_ that are worth talking about." Chuck spoke smoothly as always and took the blonde's hand into his, stroking his thumb in circles within her palm.

The woman seemed to have forgotten her own name under the weight of his easy charm, because she had yet to offer him one, although it was not as if he minded. He did not want to have to remember some odd sounding word that hardly resembled a name. There were plenty of general endearments he could use.

Suddenly, Chuck began getting a little bored with the situation. He needed to take this elsewhere or move onto the next willing participant, polo matches only lasted so long.

"Perhaps, I could interest you in another drink, maybe something stronger?" Chuck stated, intentionally loud enough for the bartender to overhear, so that the man would began busying himself with finding clean glasses.

Then, leaning in close to the blonde's ear, he said the words that spelled out his real intentions. "Or, maybe we could take this to my limo and you can tell me if the rumors are true."

She started grinning enthusiastically, but before she could voice her agreement Chuck's cell phone beeped from the pocket of his gray plaid Ralph Lauren sport coat.

"Excuse me…" he mumbled in distraction, pulling the phone from his pocket and opening the text message.

Chuck quickly read the message, and then scrolled down to a picture of Serena, Blair, and their newborn daughter; the two young women looked ecstatic outside of Lenox Hill Hospital. He was not sure what to make of the image and he really did not care anyway, but before he could change screens his acquaintance had snuck a glimpse as well.

"Who's that? Your wife!?" The girl hissed, it was obvious that she knew her way around rich men and their usual behavior. Chuck almost wanted to laugh, almost. He would have if his anger had not been set off just because of who the picture contained and what it supposedly meant.

"Wife!?" Chuck spat back with venom. It did nothing for his pursuit, but it was a sudden reaction.

The blonde sneered at the two new drinks that had just been placed on their napkins. "I think you should keep your drinks. I guess I'm not interested in another after all."

She turned away with a huff and walked off, teetering in her designer heels and in an out of character display, Chuck could not help but yell after her.

"Hey! Did any of those rumors concern me having a wife!? I don't think so!"

Chuck spun around to face the bar again, he was thoroughly enraged now. He slammed his glass on the bar's surface, letting some of the amber colored liquid spill over its crystal edges. He was ready to leave and moved to do just that, before deciding that it would be ridiculous to leave a drink that he now, definitely needed. Picking it back up, he stormed across the neat lawn. Somehow, Blair and Serena were unknowingly beginning to even the score.

*****

As Eleanor entered her home, she amusedly gaped at how her lavish, professionally decorated living room had been turned into what resembled a very ritzy day care center. Random items in various hues of pinks, yellows, purples, and other colors fit for little girls set throughout the room, as did countless flower arrangements, sent by family, friends, and others that they hardly knew. In the middle of all the baby chaos, Serena lied heavily asleep on the chaise and alongside her; Carabella was dozing in her swing, still being swayed gently.

Her own daughter was nowhere to be seen, but Eleanor could not have blamed her for retiring to her room for a few hours. Blair had obviously just been through a tiring whirlwind of events and what better way to sleep off the stress than to collapse into her plush bedding. Though Serena, it seemed, had not yet made it that far.

Eleanor quietly made her way across the floor, with a bouquet of peach, coral, light pink, yellow, and white roses accented by sprigs of fern and other greenery, in her hands. Setting them on one of the glass topped tables; the leaded crystal vase clinked with the surface, making Serena's eyes flutter open in investigation.

"I hadn't meant to wake you, dear. I was just adding this to your growing collection." Eleanor explained with a glint of humor in her voice, because truly all of the buds and blooms they had amassed could only be described as a collection.

Serena smiled through her sleepiness and snuck a glance Carabella's way before responding. "It's beautiful. Who is it from?"

"I left it for you to check. The woman at the desk downstairs said it just arrived for you and Blair."

"Hmm…" Serena murmured in curiosity and then rose from her resting place. She found the tag within the grouping of flowers, and an abrupt and uncouth reaction spilled from her lips. "Take it back."

Eleanor looked a bit dumbstruck. "Well, why? What does it say?"

"It's from Bart Bass, and Chuck's name is there too." There was a dark tone to Serena's words as she answered and it all became very clear as to why she would refuse the gift.

"Serena, Bart couldn't have known…he was just –"

"I know," Serena interrupted, "he was just carrying on with the proper social gestures, but I think his son has given us enough of his _sentiments_. I don't want that here."

Eleanor did not speak but watched as Serena pushed both of her hands through her hair, and then began to explain herself further, even though there was really no need.

"I just…Blair is so happy and now, of all times, I don't want her to even have to think of him." Serena finished and looked up, finding Eleanor nodding her head in agreement.

"I understand, I'll have Dorota take it back down to the lobby."

"Thank you…" Serena answered absentmindedly, watching but not really seeing as Eleanor retreated into the kitchen.

She lied back down as she had been before and studied Carabella's face as she slept. Fortunately, most of her features had come from Blair, but there was no doubt as to who the other half of her came from. They could try to ignore it if they liked, but they could not ignore the fact that Chuck would always be in the back of their minds.

**Yay, two updates within two weeks! This chapter is just sort of a filler to bring Gossip Girl and Chuck back into the mix, because I couldn't forget about those two! Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!**


	18. Bath Time, Bed Time, & Time Outs

**Hey, everyone! As always, soo sorry for taking forever with the update, I'm hoping to get the next one out MUCH sooner! Also, thanks so much for favoriting, reviewing, and putting this story on alert, I truly appreciate it and love hearing what you have to say! :)**

Chapter 18 – Bath Time, Bed Time, & Time Outs

After being woken by Eleanor, Serena contented herself with very quietly watching the large flat screen TV mounted to the living room wall. But soon Carabella was fussing from her swing anyway and the blonde was reminded that she was on baby watch, while Blair caught up on some much needed rest. It was fun to her, although everyone kept telling her and Blair how un-fun it was going to become. She had heard all of that before and as she carefully picked up her newborn daughter, she refused to believe that she would ever find it to be anything less than enjoyable.

"Hey, baby, what's up?" Serena asked lightly, placing her hand behind Carabella's neck as she stood up and gently rocked her.

Serena breathed in the lightly perfumed scent of the Pink Chicken hat atop Carabella's head as she walked towards one of the windows. It smelled faintly of Blair's dark tresses from having been snuggled against her neck for hours, and it was just so familiar and right that she would not know how to describe it in any other way.

"Mommy probably wouldn't like it if I taught you phrases like, 'what's up?'" laughed Serena, as she took in the regal brick buildings outside the penthouse window. The sun was beginning to lower against the sky and rays of light were beaming into the room, warming her skin. She did not care a bit that she was holding a crying infant in her arms because in a way, it just reminded her of how perfect everything seemed to be.

"You're not going to stop, are you?" The blonde questioned with a grin and pulled Carabella away from her chest to inspect her frustrated, yet adorable face. The harder crying that resulted gave her, her answer and she resumed the rocking motion as she headed for the staircase. "Okay, we'll go get her, but I have to warn you…sometimes she's not in the best of moods when you wake her up."

Serena bumped the slightly ajar door of Blair's bedroom further open with her shoulder and walked inside, not bothering with the lights. She found it more relaxing with the way the curtains were drawn closed and the room was darkened and cooled by the blue hued walls.

As she and Carabella made their way towards the bed, she could see Blair starting to stir. The brunette's back was facing away from her, but Serena could see the slow movements of her groggily taking her sleep mask off before rolling onto her back.

Blair was already smiling as her fiancée sat beside her and sank back against her satiny pillows, while holding their daughter. If Serena had not been there to witness it all, she would have never suspected that Blair had just delivered a baby not even a full two days ago. Her hair was tousled and flatteringly loose around her face, setting off her freshly rested complexion.

"I have a little someone who wants to see you." Serena announced.

"Yeah…" Blair murmured as her smile grew impossibly wider and she rubbed her eye, almost rivaling all of the cuteness emanating from Carabella. "Sorry I slept so long."

"Be quiet, you deserve it." Serena traced along Blair's jaw to the back of her neck, pulling their foreheads together before sealing their lips. The kiss was slow and undemanding for a few seconds, but the wailing baby between them was anything but undemanding.

"Okay, okay, I promise I'm not ignoring you, baby girl." Blair whispered in a hushed, soothing tone after having freed her mouth from Serena's. She then set to work on unbuttoning the top of her black-and-cream striped silk pajamas, which had a good chance of acquiring some stains before the day was through.

It never seemed to have taken so long to undo buttons in all of their lives, but once the task was finally completed Serena was gladly handing Carabella over. The blonde did not mind the whole crying aspect; she just preferred to see and _hear_ her baby being happy. She also figured that to be a good reason why everyone kept telling her to be prepared for long days, and equally tiring nights.

"Alright, here you go," the brunette continued to whisper as she offered the baby her breast, "Let's try not to make a mess this time."

Serena smiled absently as she watched the interaction, knowing that her words referred to her first attempts at breastfeeding while still in the hospital. To say the least, Carabella had not inherited any of Blair's table manners in her genes _or_ they had yet to show themselves. They were both humorously hoping for the latter.

Carabella immediately quieted and her gorgeously thick eyelashes even fluttered to her cheeks as she closed her eyes in contentment. Her tiny hand rested on Blair's chest, lightly flexing and releasing, and creating her own form of simple entertainment. The older brunette could not stop herself from shooting her fiancée a giddily triumphant smirk.

"You two are _too_ cute together, it's like almost wrong." Serena insisted while reaching her fingertips out to run them over the infant's dark strands of hair. This caused her to open her eyes, lazily focus on Serena for a moment, and then let them slip closed again with a small sigh. "See, that's what I mean."

"She can't help that she's so cute. Me, on the other hand, well I have some control over it." Blair giggled until she was cut off by the blonde's mouth once more.

*****

When Carabella had woken from what had seemed like her millionth little cat nap of the day and she had finished eating for what must have been the billionth time, Serena and Blair decided to embark on another of many 'firsts,' this one being – bath time.

"B, I don't think she's going to like this." Serena stated with skepticism in her voice, as she watched the brunette trying to gently wrestle Carabella's fidgety limbs from the confines of her outfit.

Blair just smiled down in that charming way of hers. "Nonsense, S, she's going to love it. Every girl loves bubble baths, especially when you want to relax…"

"She certainly doesn't seem very relaxed now." The blonde mumbled under her breath, angling her face away to keep her expression of doubt unseen.

"Well, you're going to find out." Blair responded to the words that Serena thought she could not even hear and then handed her a naked, squealing Carabella. "Here, put her in."

Blair watched primly from her perch on the edge of the bath tub, atop one of her ivory towels with the gold stitched monogram 'BCW' as Serena hesitantly and experimentally lowered the baby into her own small tub within the bath tub. What resulted was the room immediately being filled with high, shrill cries.

"I told you!" Serena exclaimed, before trying to remedy the situation by softly stroking Carabella's arms. But the infant was not having it and continued with her loud protesting.

"Maybe the water is too hot!"

"It's not too hot! You made me refill this thing like three times!" Serena accurately reasoned.

Blair scoffed and cocked an eyebrow, before leaning down to test the water's temperature herself, even though her body was painfully opposing the movement. Sitting on the solid marble surface was not the most pleasant thing to do after just having had a baby in the first place. Her fingertips nearly reached the surface and a murmur of discomfort was just behind her teeth, when Serena's hand grasped her own.

"Blair, stop. I can tell it hurts." Serena firmly stated, her voice conveying that she was not going to tolerate any arguments about the situation.

The brunette righted herself as swiftly as she could manage and haughtily folded her hands in her lap, yanking one of them away from the woman kneeling on the tiled floor beside her. "Oh, fine!"

"Yes, now just sit there and relax…" Serena advised, drawing out the last syllables of the words as she turned her attention back to her task. "You know, for as much as you used to dislike kids and babies before you found out you were pregnant, you're certainly proving yourself to be awfully protective in just a short amount of time."

"Shut up, S!" Blair spat. She proved the blonde's words all too true when she could not even tear her gaze away from her whimpering daughter and her fingers twisted nervously against each other, itching to reach out and soothe the crying.

"It's not a bad thing, B." Serena was calmly gathering washcloths and baby shampoo from a towel beside her on the floor, flaunting her skills of keeping level headed while her girlfriend was close to having a heart attack.

"Serena! Would you just be quiet and make her stop crying!" Blair suddenly demanded when she could no longer stand it, her eyes flashing with insistence as she smacked her hand against the bathtub for effect.

Light gold colored tresses tossed gently as Serena shook her head, not being able to control how humorous she was finding the entire situation. "You're mother is so dramatic, Carabella, and she's the one who thought you were going to like this."

The sudden sing-songy tone of Serena's voice as she teased Blair offered a distraction to the unfamiliar setting that Carabella had found herself in. Concentration creased the smooth skin of her brow while she worked to focus on the smiling figure above her, lessening her loud vocalizations.

"There, that's better, isn't it?" Serena announced as she gently loosened Carabella's fisted hand and held it between her fingers and thumb, while she drizzled warm water over her shoulders. The infant squirmed a bit at the sensation before realizing that it was not all that bad.

"I think she was just cold…"

The blonde looked over her shoulder to catch Blair's eyes when she received no response, but instead she was met with the sight of her girlfriend grinning adoringly as she watched their daughter.

"B?"

"What?" Blair snapped, jerking herself out of the trance.

Serena smiled lightly, a mix of something like understanding and sympathy showing on her face. "Nothing. This is just strange, isn't it?"

Blair's eyes cast themselves on their now occupied newborn once more and she released a sigh. "It's different…in a good way. But I'm still trying to get used to it, and used to having her. It just makes _me_ feel so different."

"That's alright though…right, B?" The blonde spoke uncertainly, as if she was concerned for the explanation she might receive. Her fingers still held Carabella's hand while she anticipated the response.

"Of course!" Blair quickly offered, not wanting to give the wrong impression. "It's just that –"

A sudden and airy coo interrupted the sentence with infectious happiness and Blair's luminous smile was practically automatic, like she had been hearing the endearing sound her entire life.

"Yes, we're talking about you, sweetheart!" the brunette stated animatedly. Her hand was outstretched and her fingers wiggled in Carabella's direction, catching her eyes. The motion caused more little noises, and if Blair's pleased expression was any indicator, she was close to melting into a puddle of goo.

"It's just that you never thought Blair Waldorf would be caught dead talking or acting like she did just now?" Serena added bluntly, yet with purposeful humor in her tone.

A happily defeated grin came over Blair's face and she could not deny her girlfriend's words, she had no reason to, there was nothing in her mind urging her to pretend anymore. "Exactly…"

Serena did not need to say anything to acknowledge how pleased she was with that single exclamation, the grin parting her lips and the expression in her dark blue eyes told everything. Smile still in place, she brought her fingers from beneath the warm water and flicked them towards the brunette's face lightheartedly.

"Hey!" Blair whined, squeezing her eyelids shut and blinking away the droplets.

"Sorry, couldn't help it." Serena had already resumed entertaining Carabella and wetting down her short hair, by the time Blair was able to focus again.

"That went right in my eye," complained the brunette.

"You cry more than Cara does." The blonde teased as she simultaneously uncapped the bottle of Noodle & Boo shampoo she was holding and squeezed a small amount into her palm. She worked the liquid between her hands for a few moments before gently beginning to massage Carabella's scalp, and talking lightly to her. "See, that feels good doesn't it, baby?"

"Yes, S. Well, you just better not get that in _her_ eyes!" Blair demanded, still disgruntled over the face full of water she had received from her loving girlfriend.

"She's completely safe, mama. It says, 'tear-free formula' right on the bottle." Serena assured, while she played with the foamy bubbles covering Carabella's dark hair, using care while running her fingers over her sensitive soft spot.

"And you're just going to believe that!?"

Serena's brows knitted together and she slowly turned her face to the side, floored by how much worry this harmless event was causing Blair. "Yes, Blair, I am going to believe it and you're going to believe it too. I promise I'm not going to pour it in her eye…she'll be fine, okay?"

The brunette's eyes narrowed at Serena's condescending tone, then sweetly stated, "Fine, but give me that wash cloth over there."

The little cloth was swiftly placed in Blair's open palm, folded into a long rectangle – edges aligned and even, of course – and then handed back to Serena. "Here, you can put that on her forehead, just in case."

As annoying as Blair could be at times, it still managed to put a smile on the blonde's face. "Okay, deal…" Serena laughed, humoring the brunette. Somehow she was not surprised that Blair was overly concerned with everything having to do with her newborn, and she could not have imagined it being any other way.

*****

"Did you like your bath!?" Blair asked in a happy tone, further energizing the way that Carabella's arms and legs were moving. "I think you did!"

"She's never going to go to sleep if you do that." Serena smiled as she laid a brand new, pink striped Petit Bateau footed pajama set on the changing table beside the infant.

"Then mommy will stay up with her because she's much too adorable to leave alone!" the brunette gushed in between kissing the tops of Carabella's tiny feet.

Blair lightly walked her fingers along her bare belly and chest, until she reached her face and cupped her delicate head in her hands. Then she lowered her own head so that her nose brushed the end of Carabella's and made her brown eyes blink rapidly. And her voice became hushed and sincere when she whispered, "Yes, you are, Cara, and I love you more than anything."

Blair touched their noses together one last time, kissed the baby's soft forehead and then pulled away to begin dressing her in her night clothes. Carefully placing her limbs into the correct places with some struggle and then clicking the small metal snaps into each other, while Carabella watched drowsily. It seemed that the events of her first real bath were thoroughly exhausting and finally beginning to take effect, despite her mother's playfulness.

"There! All ready for bed time!" Serena announced, as she watched the brunette finish bundling up their daughter so she could bring her to bed. Now they could only hope that 'bed time' would come quickly and easily, and without much interruption once it was achieved.

Taking a white cashmere blanket with pearly satin trim and draping it over Serena's shoulder, Blair quietly instructed, "Here, take her blanket. I'm going to take a shower while she goes to sleep."

"Alright…" the blonde stated absentmindedly, while she focused on turning down the bedding and not disturbing the infant lying over her arm, who was going still with sleepiness.

While Blair showered, Serena lounged against the numerous pillows, holding Carabella against her chest and amusedly watching as she fought sleep and finally lost the battle, her dark eyes eventually drifting closed of their own volition.

"Is she asleep?" Blair emerged from the conjoined bathroom expecting the answer to be 'no,' but when the blonde in her bed raised her forefinger to her lips and glanced downward, she instantly hushed knowing she had been proven wrong.

"She tried to stay awake for you, but she just couldn't…"

Blair smiled in understanding as she smoothly took her daughter from Serena's arms so as not to wake her. She then wrapped the loose flaps of the blanket tightly around her small body to keep her cozy and walked across the room, laying her down in the bassinet Harold and Roman had custom made for her in France.

"Well, that's alright, because I have a feeling that in about two hours she will be awake again." Blair whispered to the woman that she was now sliding into bed with.

"Mmm, don't remind me…" Serena's voiced purred into the brunette's ear, she disregarded the thought to instead press random, feathery kisses against freshly showered skin and wet hair. "It's my turn to have you now."

Her straight teeth pinched her flesh, as Blair bit into her lip, sighing in response, "Yes…"

The blonde settled her weight over Blair, continuing to tease her by nibbling and sucking at her neck.

"You know four to six weeks is a long time," the brunette pointed out, stopping to let out a little moan as Serena sharply nipped her earlobe. "But I think we could find a few ways to – Ow!"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Serena rapidly exclaimed, shifting her weight and recognizing that cry as being from pain, and not from what she had been doing with her mouth.

Blair gave a breathy laugh through her discomfort and turned to her side, holding the blonde's arm and pulling her to lie closely against her back. "Maybe four to six weeks will be just fine."

Serena giggled in agreement and pushed into the warm form in front of her, but something in the gesture was mischievous and told both of them that they would not go untouched for such a long duration of time, especially if it was not absolutely necessary.

"So, where do you want to get married?" Blair asked, changing to a less tempting subject.

Serena exhaled in what could only be considered total contentment and smiled while winding a russet colored curl about her fingertip. "I don't care, as long as you are there and I get to marry you. Oh, and I would like for it to be anywhere that Gossip Girl won't be."

Blair seemed to find some humor in the confession, for she shook her head lightly against her feather pillow. "Agreed! Now, we just have to get your ring. Maybe in a few days we can take Carabella for her first visit to Tiffany's."

"As long as you feel up to it, B." Serena whispered quietly, making it obvious that – just like their daughter – sleep was beginning to take over.

Carefully turning around in Serena's embrace, Blair found her blue eyes already closed but with a slight smile still on her face. "Don't you want to show off your baby?" she questioned with a smile of her own.

"I want to show off both of my babies…" the blonde replied with her eyes still shut. It was a sly remark, yet completely honest, and Blair had to marvel at how someone could make her so happy by doing the same things that would normally irritate her if done by anyone else.

After the brunette had studied Serena's unsuspecting features in appreciation, she gently touched their lips together until her fiancée kissed back. "I love you, Serena."

And with drowsiness heavy in her voice, the blonde answered back, "I love you too, Blair."

*****

Just as predicted, the sound of fussy wails interrupted the stillness in the room only a few hours later. Serena stirred first, and nestled her face further into Blair's neck and chest, wanting to remain in her comfortable position and continue sleeping.

"Your turn…" Blair whispered, after the noisy sound had begun to pull her from her slumber. She sleepily pet the long blonde hair lying haphazardly over Serena's head, hoping to give her some silent encouragement to go and calm the crying.

"No, your turn." Serena mumbled back and the words were hardly audible due to her quiet tone and her mouth being obscured against the silk material covering Blair's shoulder.

The brunette gave a little moan of disappointment and refusal. "Dorota's turn."

"Dorota isn't here…"

"I call a time out then."

The blonde eventually lifted her head from its soft resting place, realizing that she was most likely going to lose the debate. "You can't call times out, B."

"Fine, team effort."

"Fine." Now, Serena knew that she had definitely lost and was already beginning to move to sit against the headboard, waiting for Blair to do the same.

"Okay, go get her for me…please." Blair murmured, eventually adding the polite request as she turned onto her side and buried her face further into the comforter, eyes still closed.

"Why me?" Serena whined, using one hand to rub her eyes and the other to turn on the lamp beside her.

"That's your part of the team effort."

"Your part seems easier than mine," the blonde complained, although there was no real seriousness in the statement.

But even if there had been, Blair was prepared to defend herself in that authoritative way that was so uniquely her. "I have one word for you, Serena. Labor. Your part will never be easier. So there."

Serena huffed, yet still smiled at the response; that was the last blow of defeat. So, dragging herself up from the bed, she went to follow her orders. Just like always, because she would never lose that weak point that always had her easily giving into Blair.

**Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! Next chapter the girls will be taking a trip to Tiff's again, among other things! ;)**


	19. Playtime In The Park

Chapter 19 – Playtime In The Park

"She is going to be the cutest baby that anyone has ever seen!" Blair proudly announced to no one in particular, aside from herself. She was kneeling beside her daughter's car seat, in perfect dress and form just a week after giving birth. Well, maybe not in the most perfect form _just yet_, that would take a few more weeks, but she had definitely gone to great lengths to choose the perfect outfit for her entrance back into society.

She had been delighted to find that the navy colored pencil skirt she had chosen to wear was not too snug from the added baby weight, but finding a top to coordinate with the ensemble was not as easy. It was safe to say that her waistline had suffered some and that her breasts were close to popping the buttons from the delicate materials of her shirts. But Serena assured her that she would shed the weight quickly and had also informed that she did not mind the extra flesh spilling over the cups of her expensive lingerie; she supposed flattery was still flattery no matter the form.

"Hey! Are you girls ready to go!?" Serena chimed in suddenly, as she appeared at the top of the stairs. Her bubbly attitude was hard to miss any day, but as Blair watched her practically skip down the stairs it was obvious that she was especially energized that afternoon.

When the blonde reached the last step Blair was already there, waiting to take her hand and drag her across the floor to give her another demonstration of their daughter doing nothing, yet being infinitely adorable.

"Come here, S, you have to see her with her little hat on. She looks like she should be poolside in the Hamptons." Blair rambled and grasped for her fiancée fingers, only to find them out of reach because they were being used to slide multiple brightly colored enamel and metal bracelets onto her wrist.

The brunette frowned at her choice of jewelry. "What are you wearing those for?" she asked, almost sounding disappointed.

Serena looked down at the pieces with confusion, trying to find whatever flaws Blair was seeing. "What's wrong with them?"

"There's nothing wrong with them…" Blair said playfully, as she took a step forward, brought her body flush to Serena's and placed her arms over her shoulders. "I just thought that you would be more interested in a certain _ring_ that we're hopefully going to find today."

A smile spread over Serena's face at hearing Blair hint at buying her engagement ring and she looked deeply into the brown eyes that were gazing at her intently. "Oh, I am…"

"Good," the brunette whispered in a low tone, before carefully starting to pull the bangles off while letting her fingertips skim the soft skin beneath. "I'll accessorize you later."

"Alright, B." Serena giggled, waiting for the woman in front of her to finish giving the back of her left hand a lingering kiss.

After removing the bracelets, Blair set them on the table in the foyer that always held a vase of freshly cut blooms, while the blonde took the opportunity to check on Carabella. The baby was content being strapped into her car seat with her light blanket and she let her face rest against the cushioned sides of the carrier as she examined her surroundings with as much concentration as an infant could manage.

"What's on your forehead, Cara?" Serena asked aloud, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the dark mark above Carabella's brow, which was more difficult to see from the shadow of the visor being drawn up.

"What? What is it!?" Blair said, bordering on shouting as she dashed forward to kneel beside her daughter once more.

Serena just laughed as she pulled her thumb away and held it up to display a crimson smear on her skin. "Don't freak out, she's fine. Everyone will know her mother loves her…it's your lipstick."

Folding back the visor to inspect what she had unknowingly done made Blair smile widely, and then she leaned forward, attempting to do it again. But before she could, Serena was halting her actions and chiding her. "Now, stop, you're going to get it all over her."

The brunette cocked her head to the side in a haughty fashion and narrowed her eyes as she began to stand. "Well, now you've done it…" Blair stated matter-of-factly, while sauntering towards Serena and keeping their gazes locked. "Now, I'm going to get my lipstick all over you."

They both grinned as the tips of their noses came together, and then finally their lips. And as Serena linked her hands at the small of Blair's back, she cockily thought of how it was not the first time that they had ruined a perfectly good makeup application nor would it be the last.

"I can't get over how sexy you are when you're being all motherly." Blair rasped into the blonde's ear, after having kissed her way there.

Taking some steps backwards, until her shoulder blades met the nearest wall, Serena whispered, "I haven't even done anything yet."

Blair tipped her head back to question her fiancée's disagreement, but then thought better of it, instead deciding to extend her tongue to taste the soft lips that were just breaths away from her own. Serena searched the brunette's eyes and parted her mouth to the exploration, letting her take a few licks and then catching her tongue between her teeth.

"Mmm…" Blair groaned and waited for her tongue to be released from the sharp, yet playful pinch of Serena's teeth. "Maybe it's just you."

"Maybe…" the blonde agreed, and then continued to take advantage of their short moment of solitude and furthered their kissing.

Neither paid attention to anything aside from the press of flesh and fingers tangling in silky hair. If a baby was not crying then they were safe, but they had completely forgotten the one other disruption that was always bumbling around the Waldorf penthouse.

The sound of a throat clearing distracted Blair from her eager devouring of Serena's mouth and she leaned away to find the source, still clinging to the once crisp white collar she was fisting between her fingers.

"Miss Blair should learn to keep tongue in her mouth." Dorota grumbled, averting her eyes although shamelessly scolding the woman – who would always be a young girl to her – for the way the pink of her tongue had been clearly visible at the corner of Serena's mouth just seconds ago.

"Sorry, Dorota," said Blair with a half-hearted shrug and a little smirk, "but we haven't had sex in weeks and my hormones are still running on overdrive."

"Miss Blair!?"

Serena could not help the blush that crept into her cheeks from the confession and quickly changed the subject before a squabble could occur or any more personal information could be revealed. "Dorota what are you going to call Blair once we're married?"

The maid shot both of the women a glare that showed she was thoroughly dissatisfied with their saucy display. "I find something to call her, I'm sure," she replied shortly, busying herself with tucking the blanket more securely around Carabella's legs and putting the visor back up. "You keep the sun off the baby, she too little for a tan."

"We know, we know!" Blair dramatically huffed. "And now, we're leaving!"

Taking that as her cue, Serena gripped the car seat handle in one hand and offered her other to Blair, glad to escape from Dorota's watchful eyes. The two were quiet as they waited for the elevator doors to slide into place, but once they had, each was laughing with amusement.

"If only she knew where all this tongue has been." Blair laughed lowly and squeezed Serena's hand suggestively.

*****

"And here, we have the Legacy™," the man who had been assisting the two women stated, as he presented Serena with a platinum ring with a cushion-cut diamond and many more dripping down the sides of the band.

Blair sat beside her in the brightly lit lounge, holding a dozing Carabella against her shoulder and eyeing the ring skeptically. She did not like the setting; it was too flashy for her taste. But when Serena turned to her with an expression that was wondering her opinion she only smiled and asked, "Do you like it?"

The blonde gave the ring that she held between her thumb and index finger an uncertain look, before carefully handing it back to the suited man. "It's beautiful, but maybe something a little simpler, similar to hers…"

Eagerly, Blair put her hand and its shining accessory up for display; she was becoming quite used to showing it off. Not for its material meaning, but for how it physically linked her to Serena. She loved staring into its perfect facets and thinking of all the facets of she and Serena's relationship, and she wanted everyone else to do it too.

"Of course, maybe a different solitaire with a plain band, then?" the man quizzed back, willing to please.

"Perfect," she smiled, prompting his departure to fetch more pieces of jewelry. After he was out of sight and busy with his task, Serena turned to Blair questioningly, "You don't want it to match yours or anything, do you?"

A humorously disbelieving look came over the brunette's face and she quickly shook her head in disagreement. "No, that's just tacky. Choose one you like, this is _our_ engagement, not just mine."

"Wow, B, how understanding and unlike you!" Serena teased, her lips brushing Carabella's soft hair as she leaned in to kiss her head.

"Well, yes, I am trying to be less selfish in my ways." Blair sighed exaggeratedly.

"You're sweet," the blonde laughed, and then steered the conversation toward the entire purpose of visiting Tiffany's that afternoon. "So, do you like any of the wedding bands he showed us?"

"I don't know…we should probably find your ring before we choose the ba –"

A dissatisfied whimper suddenly interrupted the words, as well as the click of shoes sounding on the spotless marble floors. Carabella had decided to wake just as the new pieces they had requested arrived and Blair laid her on her lap, hoping to soothe her before she got too upset.

"Finally, you decide to wake up, sleepy baby…" Blair spoke in a light and playful tone while letting the infant grasp her fingertips. The grip was not content, but more a show of her irritation at being pulled from her sleep, and soon she was protesting as loudly as she could. Which seemed to be much louder than normal, considering the hushed environment of the store, complimented only by the tasteful strains of music playing in the background.

Gathering the baby against her chest again, Blair stood from her seated position and turned to Serena apologetically. "Sorry, S, just let me walk around with her for awhile. She should be alright in a few minutes."

"It's fine," Serena assured with an understanding smile and then motioned to shoo Blair away, "go ahead."

While Blair slowly walked beside the lengths of glass countertops, she gently rocked Carabella and tried coaxing her back to happiness. Serena stayed seated; slipping different styles of rings on and off her finger.

"Shh, what's wrong?" the older brunette whispered against the side of the infant's head, rubbing her back and neck soothingly.

Blair could not help but notice the irony of the situation. In a timeless jewelry store that she herself loved and that another very famous brunette had described as a sort of nirvana among women, her daughter was loudly wailing. And soon she was giving Carabella her first lesson in old Hollywood glamour and refined taste.

"You know, Cara," Blair began thoughtfully, "a very wise woman once stated that this place should calm you down right away. With the quietness and the proud look of it, nothing very bad could happen to you here."

Rehearsing her own version of the lines that she must have heard over a thousand times since she was just a young girl had no effect on the baby's crying, but she persisted with her speech. Hoping that the sound of her voice, if not the meaning of the words, would give Carabella some comfort.

"Shh, I know, I know…Holly Golightly is just a character, but she is one of my favorites and undoubtedly one of Audrey Hepburn's greatest performances. You really should consider her words, _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ is a classic, and we'll watch it soon."

When Carabella's cries only increased and became borderline deafening next to Blair's ear, she pulled her away from her shoulder and looked at her flushed face and pouted lips with defeat.

"Or, maybe bad things can happen here," Blair continued to speak aloud, beginning to make her way back towards the lounge area, "but after all, you're only seven and a half days old, so I'll forgive you. Someday you'll learn to appreciate it."

As she approached Serena, Blair noticed that the blonde seemed distracted in her task to find the perfect engagement ring and was retiring most of the fine pieces back to the tray from which they had come before even giving them the inspection that the detailed features deserved. Mostly because the two people that she wanted to give all of her attention to had been pacing the store without her.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Serena asked, swiftly standing up to meet her fiancée and daughter in the middle of the room.

"Yes, I'm just going to take her out to the car for a while." Blair answered and smiled at the way Serena stroked the back of Carabella's small hand with concern.

"I'll come with you."

The brunette shook her head at Serena's announcement, "No, go ahead…keep looking. I'll come back in a few minutes."

"Alright…" the blonde replied hesitantly, before allowing Blair to walk out the doors alone. She watched her through the glass store front, making sure Blair was inside their black town car before going to sit down once more.

"I took the liberty of gathering some more pieces for you to view, Miss van der Woodsen."

The blonde found the man approaching with an entirely new set of small blue boxes and suede bags, and she suddenly felt guilty for making him go through the trouble of finding so many pieces when she was now disinterested and had hardly been able to concentrate in the first place.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I think I would rather wait to decide until Blair can look at them with me." Serena said, feeling bad, but still gathering her bag from where it laid beside her on the white sofa.

He smiled his agreement and began putting the items away. "Perfectly understandable…and if I may say, your daughter is very beautiful. She reminds me of my own daughter, years ago, of course."

"Thank you," Serena nearly laughed after a moment of hesitation. There was nothing humorous about what he had said, but it made her think of all the new and interesting experiences she, Blair, and Carabella had shared during the past week. "Having her…well, let's just say that it has definitely been a learning curve."

"I would expect every new parent to say such a thing, otherwise I would suspect the child of not doing a proper job."

The two shared a laugh, and then Serena was adding to her earlier comment, "Oh really? I thought it was just me. This wasn't planned _at all_ and we're still young ourselves, it's just…" She could not understand why she was telling a perfect stranger certain details of her life, but he seemed to understand and that was what she needed.

"It will get easier," he said in a tone that was promising and spoke of personal experience, "but that's not to say that parenting doesn't continue to have its difficulties."

"If I'm any example of those difficulties, then I know exactly what to expect," Serena smiled, and the man nodded politely as he finished taking care of the jewelry and let the blonde continue to speak, "Well, I suppose we will be seeing you again soon. Thank you for all of your help today…with _everything_."

*****

"If you don't want to grow up to be an Audrey fan, I'll understand…I'll even understand if you decide to believe that Marilyn is the face of classic film. She is gorgeous, of course, although she may have lacked the true poise and elegance of someone like Grace Kelly, or say, Jackie O. But I can't deny, I do have a certain weakness for giggly, carefree blondes."

"And who might that be?" Serena asked with a knowing grin as she opened the car door and over heard the words which were said in a content, smitten sounding sigh.

Blair's inviting smile gave away exactly who she spoke of, while she lounged closely against Carabella's car seat, her elbow resting on its fabric covered side and her chin on her palm. "Oh, no one…" she ribbed, as she gently pushed the baby's butter yellow pacifier further into her mouth after it threatened to fall out.

Serena gave no answer, choosing to let her head fall back against the seats while staring out of the tinted windows instead.

"Are you mad?" Blair quietly asked and reached over to place her hand on the blonde's thigh.

"What? Of course not, B!" Serena reassured, while bringing their hands together. "I just have to keep reminding myself that this is what we signed up for, and that it's worth it."

The remark seemed to make Blair recoil a little, as if she had not listened to the rest of what Serena had said and soon she was self consciously pulling her hand back to her own lap. Her eyes shifted to the floor mats with a pensive expression. "Well, I know I did…I didn't really have any other choices."

"That's not what I meant," the blonde backtracked, leaning around Carabella who was now asleep again in her car seat, to take the other woman's hand back.

Before Serena could say anything else, Blair was adding her opinion to the matter. "It's just that you never had to do this with me. And as much as I love her – which I do, more than anything – _I_ made this huge mistake and I just feel like one day you're going to realize that and I'll end up on my own."

Serena's face was masked with an odd look as Blair studied her with confusion, and then she was laughing in genuine disbelief. "Where have you been all day, Blair!? Don't you remember those things we were just looking at? They're round, shiny, and expensive…I think they're called _wedding _rings, as in, we're getting married."

The brunette raised her head and stared blankly at the partition for a moment, before shaking her head as if to clear it and then smiling at Serena. "You're right. I'm sorry, I guess I just…" she struggled for the correct words while gesturing with her hand, "I don't know."

"The hormones again?" Serena questioned with false seriousness and a smirk.

Blair could not have held back her amused chuckle even if she wanted to. "It could be…"

"You know, I'm not really sure how much longer the hormone line is going to work for you, B," the blonde teased.

"I'm sorry, Serena," Blair began to apologize for the second time in a row, "I don't mean to freak out on you, it's just that sometimes everything seems too good to be true."

Serena scoffed at the notion. "When you bring a van der Woodsen and a Waldorf together things are bound to be too good to be true. It's like a law of the Upper East Side."

Blair laughed at her girlfriend's successful attempt to cheer her up and then nodded in compliance. "But my name carries a little more weight than yours…"

"Pssh, whatever…I think the brilliance of this relationship is – as you would say – a team effort!"

The brunette shrugged in a kittenish manner and chimed, "Whatever you would like to believe, S."

"Mhmm, yeah…" Serena said with a sarcastic nod, "Now, instead of arguing over who has the most profound genealogy would you like to take our daughter to the park instead?"

"Sure," Blair purred, a wicked look coming over her face, "But there would be no argument, it's obviously me."

Their eyes connected and they each tried their best to uphold an icy stare, but it only lasted a few seconds before their resolves broke and each was laughing hysterically.

*****

The last time Blair and Serena had been in Central Park, they were a little over half way through their foray into becoming parents. And by now, the journey had already taken its abrupt start.

"It doesn't even seem like that long ago when Dorota was bringing me here to feed the ducks…" Blair reminisced as she looked out over the calm water, which was only subtly rippled by the late summer breeze.

"Did you ever think that one day you would be bringing your own kids here?" Serena asked, swaying slightly on her feet to a smooth rhythm for the baby she was holding.

The brunette was shaking her head in disagreement while still gazing at the water's glassy surface, before she replied, "No, never…"

"Well, I'm glad we get to do it together." Serena announced, pulling Blair from her trance and making her beam brightly in her direction.

"Yes, me too – ugh!"

Blair swiftly went from happily reminiscent to disgusted in fractions of a second and a familiar, cold visage seemed to freeze her features into a sneer. Just like memories of the duck pond, the mask could be easily remembered, but it was something that neither woman had been mourning in their everyday lives.

"OMG, she is _so_ adorable, Blair!"

Suddenly, Blair and Serena found themselves caught in a whirlwind of colored tights and clashing, yet somehow perfectly put together fashion accessories. Because even if there was not a notorious Waldorf around to hold down the steps of the Met throne, there would always be her leftover power-hungry minions, Penelope, Hazel, Isabel, and Nelly Yuki willing to do the job.

"I know," Blair began in her sticky-sweet, reserved-for-inferiors tone, "but if you could refrain from using text acronyms when referring to our daughter, I would appreciate it, Is."

The barb went disregarded, in favor of the infant resting against Serena's shoulder. Just like in days gone by, the other girls never seemed to fully grasp the insults and cynical remarks that the head brunette threw their way. Except maybe Penelope, who was always watching over with a little more awareness than the others, waiting with a keen eye for Blair's slip-ups.

"Oh, is her name Audrey!?" Nelly asked excitedly, while Blair and Penelope stared each other down with distrust, and Serena tried not the laugh at the awkwardness of the whole situation.

After purposefully extending her glare for a couple more seconds and then adding an eye roll, Blair turned to the wannabe geek-chic girl who had most definitely taken her spot at Yale in the fall. "No, Nelly Yuki! Her name is not Audrey!"

Not even bothering to look, Nelly continued to ogle Carabella alongside Hazel and Isabel. "Then it must be Holly!"

"No, it isn't! Now, stop creeping me out by knowing random facts about my life and interests!" Blair spat snottily, and then reverted back to her sarcastically nice tone. "Her name is Carabella, but I'm not sure why any of you should have the privilege of knowing that."

Secretly, Blair was thrilled at having her former "friends" fawning over her newborn daughter. It was obvious by the hint of a self satisfied grin curving the corners of her lips, which only Serena had taken notice of.

"What's wrong, P? Nothing to say?" the tall blonde asked with a smile, as she studied the newly appointed leader of the group and her unreadable expression.

Before an answer could be given, Hazel was gushing in agreement, "Yeah! Come on, P, you can't deny the fact that she is like the cutest thing ever!"

"Well…" Penelope began, sweeping her eyes haughtily over Blair and then back to the baby, "I suppose she is pretty adorable for being the spawn of Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass."

Blair was already on her way to clawing the other girl's eyes out when Serena's free hand locked around her elbow and another movement had her forgetting the comment all together.

"Look at her little fingers!" exclaimed Isabel, and then raised her hand towards said fingers.

"No touching!" Blair snapped, and somehow managed to swat the offending hand away before it could contaminate her daughter, even while Serena was still holding fast to her arm. "I don't want her to catch the last season that seems to be dripping from you!" she started to rant, "I was pregnant, ladies, not in a coma. I can still recognize your outdated style, and just like you all, it has no place near _my_ daughter or _my _fiancée!"

The brunette was brimming with triumph when her diatribe finally had found its mark, especially when the girls shrank away in what she could only hope was shame at the stinging truth. But her glory was short-lived and soon Serena was pulling her back to rational thought after seeing too much of her horns reappear.

"Okay, B, that's enough tyranny for today. Let's go!"

Taking a deep breath and then releasing it with an air of calmness, Blair nodded in approval. "You're right, S. I think we've spent enough time in the park this afternoon."

"Yes, we have. Now, walk, we're leaving." Serena said, taking the control that she always had, but normally never had to use. Her hand was at the small of Blair's back, guiding her away from the girls that only led to upset when she was urgently called back.

"Wait, Serena!?" Hazel shouted, wanting to make sure she got the blonde's attention since it was evident that the group already had Blair's by the way she was practically baring her teeth while looking over her shoulder. "We should have lunch sometime, you know, on the steps like old times. Lunch on the steps is practically a rite of passage."

Serena peered at the four girls with skepticism; she was wondering if it was actually possible for people to be as clueless as they all appeared to be at the moment. "She's barely a week old. She doesn't do lunch on the steps, she does milk in her cashmere booties."

"Aww!" Hazel, Isabel, and Nelly all cooed in unison, all of them aside from Penelope confirming Serena's thoughts on their intelligence.

"So, if you don't want to have lunch…are we invited to your wedding?" Penelope finally asked in a sly tone, disregarding the rest of the pack's stupidity and lack of focus to zero in on the gossip worthy target.

With a tilt of her head and a finger put to her chin in mock thought, Serena smiled sweetly and happily answered, "No!"

"Well…that was strange." Penelope announced after Serena and Blair were out of earshot. Each of the girls was having the same thoughts as they watched the two walking away, their hands clasped together in obvious devotion.

"Yeah, I had my money on Nate. I never would have guessed that Chuck would be the baby daddy and Serena would just be the straight up daddy!" Isabel laughed in disbelief.

Murmurs of agreement arose throughout the circle and being the highest ranking, Penelope added what she thought would be the last word. "There's nothing _straight_ about that!"

But before the laughter had time to die out, Hazel had left them with a comment that could not be denied. "Although, you know…Serena is sort of sexy."

Nelly looked scandalized, Isabel had arched her brow while looking strangely contemplative, and Penelope could only purse her lips in aggravation. Either way, as they continued to watch the two advancing into the distance, neither one of them could deny that there was something especially alluring about the way that Serena's arm curled protectively around the brunette's waist. But that was nothing new for them; Blair was always onto a good thing before they even had the time to figure it out.

**Spotted: Queen 1 and Queen 2 giving a lesson on the definition of Rite of Passage in the park. Silly minions, don't you know that when your mothers are the reigning royalty of the Upper East Side you don't need initiation into the Court. It's called succession and whether you like it or not, this Little Princess is the next in line. **


End file.
